Sulphides and furanones from steam volatile oils of Allium fistulosum and Allium chinense

The constituents of the steam volatile oils from two kinds of Allium fistulosum, A. fistulosum var. caespitosum and A. chinense, have been investigated by GC and spectral techniques (IR, UV, GC/MS, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR). The compounds identified from the neutral fraction of each volatile oil included sulphides, thiolanes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, furanones and others. Among the sulphur compounds, dipropyl disulphide comprised ca 28% of A. fistulosum oil, ca 23% of A. fistulosum var. caespitosum oil and ca 30% of A. chinense oil. A. fistulosum oil was characterized by a large quantity of tridecan-2-one (ca 52%) and 2,3-dihydro-2-octyl-5-methylfuran-3-one (ca 16%). Also, a large amount of 2,3-dihydro-2-hexyl-5-methylfuran-3-one (ca 20%) was isolated from A. chinense oil.     

Antifungal properties of essential oil and crude extracts of Hypericum linarioides Bosse

The chemical composition of the essential oil isolated from the aerial parts of Hypericum linarioides Bosse by hydrodistillation was analysed by GC–MS. It was determined that 74 compounds, which represent 84.1% of total oil, were present in the oil. The oil contains mainly δ-cadinene (6.9%), (Z)-β-farnesene (5.2%), γ-muurolene (5.5%), spathulenol (4.8%), hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (4.5%) and α-selinene (4.0%). The oil was also characterized by high content of sesquiterpenes (64.2% of total oil). The oil was tested for antifungal activity using mycelial growth inhibition assays (in vitro) against 11 agricultural pathogenic fungi, which consisted of six Fusarium species (Fusarium acuminatum, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium sambucinum and Fusarium solani) and three anastomosis groups of Rhizoctonia solani (AG-5, AG-9 and AG-11), Alternaria solani and Verticillium albo-atrum. The oil of H. linarioides showed antifungal activity against AG-9 and V. albo-atrum. In addition, petroleum ether, chloroform, acetone and methanol extracts of H. linarioides were tested against species of 11 fungi. The extracts showed moderate inhibition effects on the growth of A. solani, F. culmorum, F. equiseti and all anastomosis groups of R. solani.     

Insecticidal activity and chemical composition of the essential oil of Artemisia vestita from China against Sitophilus zeamais

In our screening program for new agrochemicals from local wild plants, essential oil of Artemisia vestita Wall (Asteraceae) was found to possess strong insecticidal activity against maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motsch. Essential oil of aerial parts of A. vestita was obtained from hydrodistillation and was investigated by GC and GC–MS. The main components of essential oil were grandisol (40.29%), 1,8-cineol (14.88%) and camphor (11.37%). The essential oil of A. vestita possessed strong fumigant toxicity against S. zeamais adults with a LC₅₀ value of 13.42 mg/L air. The essential oil of A. vestita also showed contact toxicity against S. zeamais adults with a LD₅₀ value of 50.62 mg/adult.     

Biopesticidal value of selected essential oils against pathogenic fungus, termites, and nematodes

The biopesticidal potential of six plant-derived essential oils (mint [Mentha arvensis], ajwain [Carum capticum], lemongrass [Cymbopogon citrates], clove [Eugenia caryophyllata], cedarwood [Cedrus deodara], and eucalyptus [Eucalyptus globulas]) was evaluated against Odontotermes obesus (termites), Fusarium oxysporum (plant pathogenic fungi), and Meloidogyne incognita (nematodes). In the case of termites, a “no-choice” bioassay revealed that the mint oil gave the best results (100% mortality in 30 min with 10% oil and in 10 h with 0.12% oil) followed by the lemongrass and ajwain oils. The disc diffusion method was adopted to test the anti-fungal activity of the essential oils and it was found that the clove oil gave the maximum inhibition measured in terms of the average inhibition zone diameter (5.3 ± 0.2 cm with 10% oil and 6.6 ± 0.9 cm with 20% oil), followed by the ajwain oil. To check the anti-nematicidal activity of the essential oil, in-vitro growth chamber experiments revealed that eucalyptus oil was the most efficient (100% mortality in 6 h with 1000 ??l l⁻¹ oil and in 30 h with 125 ??l l⁻¹ oil), followed by the ajwain oil. The use of the crude oils at low concentrations provided satisfactory results at the laboratory level against these pathogens, and needs further evaluation in field trials.     

玫瑰精油的化学成分及其抗菌活性

通过水蒸汽同步蒸馏法提取玫瑰精油,采用GC-MS方法分析了玫瑰精油的化学组成,共鉴定出其中14个化学成分并测定其相对含量,占总含量的95.25%。香茅醇为玫瑰精油的主要成分,相对含量为90.37%。体外抑菌实验表明,玫瑰精油除对黑曲霉没有抗菌活性外,对其它7种供试菌均具有不同程度的抑制作用,其中对表皮葡萄球菌、金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌的最小抑菌浓度(MIC)为0.063%(v/v),对枯草芽孢杆菌、变形杆菌和白色念珠菌的最小抑菌浓度（MIC）为0.125%(v/v),而对绿脓杆菌(Pseudomonas aeruginosa)的抗菌活性相对较弱,MIC为0.5%(v/v)。抑菌直径结果也表明了玫瑰精油除对黑曲霉、绿脓杆菌的抗菌活性较弱外,对其它6种菌株的抑菌直径都大于8.5 mm。考察了玫瑰精油对3种敏感菌株包括金黄色葡萄球菌(革兰氏阳性菌)、大肠杆菌(革兰氏阴性菌)和白色念珠菌(真菌)的杀菌动态过程,为玫瑰精油的应用提供了理论依据。     

Antifungal effects of citronella oil against Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404

Essential oils are aromatic oily liquids obtained from some aromatic plant materials. Certain essential oils such as citronella oil contain antifungal activity, but the antifungal effect is still unknown. In this study, we explored the antifungal effect of citronella oil with Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404. The antifungal activity of citronella oil on conidia of A. niger was determined by poisoned food technique, broth dilution method, and disc volatility method. Experimental results indicated that the citronella oil has strong antifungal activity: 0.125 (v/v) and 0.25 % (v/v) citronella oil inhibited the growth of 5?×?10⁵ spore/ml conidia separately for 7 and 28 days while 0.5 % (v/v) citronella oil could completely kill the conidia of 5?×?10⁵ spore/ml. Moreover, the fungicidal kinetic curves revealed that more than 90 % conidia (initial concentration is 5?×?10⁵ spore/ml) were killed in all the treatments with 0.125 to 2 % citronella oil after 24 h. Furthermore, with increase of citronella oil concentration and treatment time, the antifungal activity was increased correspondingly. The 0.5 % (v/v) concentration of citronella oil was a threshold to kill the conidia thoroughly. The surviving conidia treated with 0.5 to 2 % citronella oil decreased by an order of magnitude every day, and no fungus survived after 10 days. With light microscope, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope, we found that citronella oil could lead to irreversible alteration of the hyphae and conidia. Based on our observation, we hypothesized that the citronella oil destroyed the cell wall of the A. niger hyphae, passed through the cell membrane, penetrated into the cytoplasm, and acted on the main organelles. Subsequently, the hyphae was collapsed and squashed due to large cytoplasm loss, and the organelles were severely destroyed. Similarly, citronella oil could lead to the rupture of hard cell wall and then act on the sporoplasm to kill the conidia. Nevertheless, the citronella oil provides a potential of being a safe and environmentally friendly fungicide in the future.     

Increasing seed mass and oil content in transgenic Arabidopsis by the overexpression of wri1-like gene from Brassica napus

Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is one of the most important edible oilseed crops in the world and is increasingly used globally to produce bio-diesel. Therefore, increasing oil content of oilseed corps is of importance economically in both food and oil industries. The wri1 genes are differentially expressed in B. napus lines with different oil content. To investigate the effects of B. napus WRI1 (BnWRI1) on oil content, two Bnwri1 genes with different lengths, Bnwri1-1 and Bnwri1-2, were identified and sequenced. Homology analysis shows 80% amino acids of Bnwri1s are homologous to Arabidopsis thaliana WRI1 (AtWRI1). Overexpression of Bnwri1 cDNAs driven by cauliflower mosaic virus 35S-promoter in 51 transgenic A. thaliana lines resulted in 10–40% increased seed oil content and enlarged seed size and mass. Detailed analysis on transgenic embryos indicates an increased cell size other than cell number. In addition, Bnwri1 sequence polymorphism is highly related to oil content (p < 0.001). Taking together, Bnwri1 has potential applications in food and oil industries and in rapeseed breeding.     

Dietary supplementation of pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium protects against oxidative stress and liver damage in laying hens fed an oxidized sunflower oil-added diet

The protective effects of dietary pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium (PQQ.Na₂) supplementation against oxidized sunflower oil-induced oxidative stress and liver injury in laying hens were examined. Three hundred and sixty 53-week-old Hy-Line Gray laying hens were randomly allocated into one of the five dietary treatments. The treatments included: (1) a diet containing 2% fresh sunflower oil; (2) a diet containing 2% thermally oxidized sunflower oil; (3) an oxidized sunflower oil diet with 100 mg/kg of added vitamin E; (4) an oxidized sunflower oil diet with 0.08 mg/kg of PQQ.Na₂; and (5) an oxidized sunflower oil diet with 0.12 mg/kg of PQQ.Na₂. Birds fed the oxidized sunflower oil diet showed a lower feed intake compared to birds fed the fresh oil diet or oxidized oil diet supplemented with vitamin E (P=0.009). Exposure to oxidized sunflower oil increased plasma malondialdehyde (P<0.001), hepatic reactive oxygen species (P<0.05) and carbonyl group levels (P<0.001), but decreased plasma glutathione levels (P=0.006) in laying hens. These unfavorable changes induced by the oxidized sunflower oil diet were modulated by dietary vitamin E or PQQ.Na₂ supplementation to levels comparable to the fresh oil group. Dietary supplementation with PQQ.Na₂ or vitamin E increased the activities of total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in plasma and the liver, when compared with the oxidized sunflower oil group (P<0.05). PQQ.Na₂ or vitamin E diminished the oxidized sunflower oil diet induced elevation of liver weight (P=0.026), liver to BW ratio (P=0.001) and plasma activities of alanine aminotransferase (P=0.001) and aspartate aminotransferase (P<0.001) and maintained these indices at the similar levels to the fresh oil diet. Furthermore, oxidized sunflower oil increased hepatic DNA tail length (P<0.05) and tail moment (P<0.05) compared with the fresh oil group. Dietary supplementation of PQQ.Na₂ or vitamin E decreased the oxidized oil diet induced DNA tail length and tail moment to the basal levels in fresh oil diet. These results indicate that PQQ.Na₂ is a potential antioxidant and is as effective against oxidized oil-related liver injury in laying hens as vitamin E. The protective effects of PQQ.Na₂ against liver damage induced by oxidized oil may be partially due to its role in the scavenging of free radicals, inhibiting of lipid peroxidation and enhancing of antioxidant defense systems.     

Identification and Association Analysis of Castor Bean Orthologous Candidate Gene-Based Markers for High Oil Content in Jatropha curcas

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) and castor bean (Ricinus communis) possess several taxonomic similarities, and their seeds contain a high proportion of oil (up to 40%) which has been used in various industrial products, including diesel oil. Thirty-two candidate genes responsible for fatty acid biosynthesis were identified in the castor bean genome sequence. Testing of 48 primer pairs from candidate gene regions, including 12 SSRs from castor bean on 54 genotypes of J. curcas, 65% amplified successfully on Jatropha out of which 20% showed polymorphisms. Jatropha genotypes, categorized for oil content, were used in association analysis of candidate gene regions with high oil content. One marker–trait association for the oil trait was identified. Stearoyl desaturase amplicon (700 bp) consisting of intron and exon (P?=?0.00013) showed association with high oil content in Jatropha genotypes. Sequencing of the 1.3-kb amplicon, including the 700-bp fragment of stearoyl desaturase, which had shown association with the high oil content, revealed SNPs in the exonic region. The SNPs resulted in substitution of leucine with glutamine in the open reading frame of stearoyl desaturase of low oil content genotypes. The molecular marker is expected to be useful in marker-assisted breeding of high oil content genotypes in Jatropha.     

Vapours from plant essential oils to manage tomato grey mould caused by Botrytis cinerea

Tomato grey mould has been a great concern during tomato production. The in vitro antifungal activity of vapours emitted from four plant essential oils (EOs) (cinnamon oil, fennel oil, origanum oil, and thyme oil) were evaluated during in vitro conidial germination and mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of grey mould. Cinnamon oil vapour was the most effective in suppressing conidial germination, whereas the four EOs showed similar activities regarding inhibiting mycelial growth in dose-dependent manners. The in planta protection effect of the four EO vapours was also investigated by measuring necrotic lesions on tomato leaves inoculated by B. cinerea. Grey mould lesions on the inoculated leaves were reduced by the vapours from cinnamon oil, origanum oil and thyme oil at different levels, but fennel oil did not limit the spread of the necrotic lesions. Decreases in cuticle defect, lipid peroxidation, and hydrogen peroxide production in the B. cinerea-inoculated leaves were correlated with reduced lesions by the cinnamon oil vapours. The reduced lesions by the cinnamon oil vapour were well matched with arrested fungal proliferation on the inoculated leaves. The cinnamon oil vapour regulated tomato defence-related gene expression in the leaves with or without fungal inoculation. These results suggest that the plant essential oil vapours, notably cinnamon oil vapour, can provide eco-friendly alternatives to manage grey mould during tomato production.     

The effects of some natural products compared to synthetic products on the metabolic activity,proliferation, viability,migration, and wound healing in sheep tenocytes

BackgroundTendinopathy or tendon injuries can affect many people, causing a huge impact on their movements and maintaining standing posture. Treatment options include physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory drugs, and alternative medicine. The use of physiotherapy or anti-inflammatory drugs may cause some side effects like pain and liver failure, respectively, therefore, alternative medicine will be a better choice.MethodTenocytes were isolated from sheep Achilles tendon and used in Alamar blue assay to assess the metabolic activity, proliferation, and viability of tenocytes over 24 hrs. and 48 hrs., using natural and synthetic products [i.e., olive oil, oleic acid, corn oil, Inula viscosa oil, Inula viscosa extract, Nigella sativa oil, naproxen sodium, and paracetamol and LED photobiomodulation]. Furthermore, tenocytes viability was assessed by FDA/PI stain. For migration and healing of a wound, the scratch assay was used.ResultsAlamar blue assay over 24 hrs. showed that Nigella sativa oil increased the metabolic activity, proliferation, and viability of tenocytes significantly, while Alamar blue over 48 hrs. showed that oleic acid, LED, and their combination increased these parameters for tenocytes significantly. Olive oil increased the viability of tenocytes significantly using FDA/PI stains. Scratch assay revealed that Inula viscosa oil, Inula viscosa extract, and paracetamol increased tenocyte migration and healing significantly.ConclusionNigella sativa oil, olive oil, oleic acid, Inula viscosa oil, and Inula viscosa extract may be used as an alternative therapy for tendinopathy with less side effects.     

Freeze-dried microalgae of Nannochloropsis oculata improve soybean oil's oxidative stability

Marine microalga Nannochloropsis oculata possesses nutrients valuable for human health. In this study, we added freeze-dried N. oculata powder to soybean oil and observed a remarkable inhibition in oil oxidation. The amount of microalgae powder added was positively correlated to the increase in oil stability. The addition of 5.0 % (w/w) microalgae powder increased the oil stability index (OSI) values of soybean oil more than twofold at the tested temperatures 120 and 130 °C. N. oculata contains high levels of both phenolic compounds and α-tocopherols that could be the contributors to such an increase of the OSI. Two methods were conducted to assay the active ingredients released from microalgae: one employed three solvent systems to extract the microalgae and the other was the soybean oil added with microalgae. Analyses of free radical scavenging and reducing power suggested that the phenolic compounds dominated the antioxidation activities in soybean oil when it was infused with the microalgae powder. Our results suggest that N. oculata could potentially be used as an additive in cooking oil to increase the shelf life and nutritional value of the oil and to reduce the production of free radicals from lipid oxidation when the oil is used at high-temperature cooking processes.     

Efficacy of an essential oil of Eugenia caryophyllata against Psoroptes cuniculi

The acaricidal activity of Eugenia caryophyllata essential oil was evaluated in vitro and in vivo on Psoroptes cuniculi, a mange mite. In vitro, different concentrations of the oil were tested and the observed mites mortality was compared with that observed in untreated and treated (Acacerulen R^®) controls. In vivo, six P. cuniculi infected rabbits were topically treated with the oil diluted at 2.5% and compared with untreated and treated control groups of six rabbits each. In vitro, up to the concentration of 0.10% the oil gave highly significant (P < 0.01) percentages of mite mortality respect to the untreated controls, but only up to 0.16% it showed the same efficacy of Acacerulen R^®. In vivo, the treatment with the essential oil cured all infested rabbits and no statistical differences were observed respect to the treated control group. The untreated rabbits remained infested.     

Mycoremediation of crude oil contaminated soil by specific fungi isolated from Dhahran in Saudi Arabia

Crude oil biodegrading microorganism considers the key role for environmental preserving. In this investigation, crude oil biodegrading fungal strains have been isolated in polluted soil of crude-oil at khurais oil ground in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Among of 22 fungal isolates, only three isolates reflected potential capability for oil degradation. These isolates were identified and submitted to GenBank as (A1) Aspergillus polyporicola (MT448790), (A2) Aspergillus spelaeus (MT448791) and (A3) Aspergillus niger (MT459302) through internal-transcribed spacer-regions (ITS1&ITS2) for sequencing in molecular marker. Comparing with controls, strain (A1) Aspergillus niger was superior for biodegradation ability (58%) comparing with Aspergillus polyporicola and Aspergillus spelaeus degrading were showed 47 and 51% respectively. Employed CO₂ evolution as indicator for petroleum oil biodegradation by the fungal isolates reflected that, Aspergillus niger emission highest CO2 (28.6%) comparing with Aspergillus spelaeus and Aspergillus polyporicola which showed 13% and 12.4% respectively. capability of Aspergillus sp. to tolerate and adapted oil pollutants with successful growth rate on them, indicated that it can be employed as mycoremediation agent for recovering restoring ecosystem when contaminated by crude oil.     

Effects of Essential Oil from Hinoki Cypress,Chamaecyparis obtusa,on Physiology and Behavior of Flies

Phytoncides, which are volatile substances emitted from plants for protection against plant pathogens and insects, are known to have insecticidal, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities. In contrast to their negative effects on microorganisms and insects, phytoncides have been shown to have beneficial effects on human health. Essential oil from Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) is mostly used in commercial products such as air purifiers. However, the physiological/behavioral impact of essential oil from C. obtusa on insects is not established. In this study, we tested the effects of essential oil extracted from C. obtusa on the physiologies and behaviors of Drosophila melanogaster and Musca domestica. Exposure to essential oil from C. obtusa decreased the lifespan, fecundity, locomotive activity, and developmental success rate of D. melanogaster. In addition, both fruit flies and house flies showed strong repellent behavioral responses to the essential oil, with duration times of about 5 hours at 70 μg/ml. These results suggest that essential oil from C. obtusa can be used as a ‘human-friendly’ alternative insect repellent.     

The effects of crude oil on the growth of Spartinaalterniflora Loisel. and Spartina cynosuroides (L.) Roth

Greenhouse studies were conducted to examine the effects of crude oil on the growth of Spartinaalterniflora Loisel. and S. cynosuroides (L.) Roth from North Carolina. The way in which crude oil came into contact with the plant tissue and/or substratum was an important factor in determining the responses of both species to oil pollution. Plants recovered from a single application of oil to aerial tissue with relatively little impact on productivity. The presence of an oil layer on the surface of an overlying layer of water had little impact on existing aerial portions of S. alterniflora plants; however, regrowth following harvest was completely inhibited. Incorporation of oil into the substratum significantly reduced aerial productivity and regrowth of S. alternflora and S. cynosuroides. Observations suggest that decreased productivity and regrowth may have been caused by decreased root and rhizome growth. Regrowth potential of S. alterniflora grown in oiled substratum was greater in fine-textured marsh substratum than in sand substratum.     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial,antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities of Lepidium sativum seed oil

Lepidium sativum (garden cress) seed oil was examined for its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. The oil was obtained by hydrodistillation, where gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry that utilized to study its chemical composition. Microdilution method was used to test the antimicrobial effect of oil against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Candida albicans. The antioxidant activity was assessed by radical scavenging activity assay using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical. The major constituents found in the oil were 7,10-hexadecadienoic acid, 11-octadecenoic acid, 7,10,13-hexadecatrienoic acid, and behenic acid. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against all pathogens was 47.5 mg/ml, except for Salmonella enterica, which showed MIC of 90 mg/ml. The oil demonstrated antioxidant activity in a dose dependent pattern, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of 40 mg/ml, and exerted anti-inflammatory activity, wherein 21% protection was shown at a concentration of 300 μg/ml. Thus, L. sativum seed oil shows antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.     

Survival of Candida parapsilosis yeast in olive oil

Candida parapsilosis is a human opportunistic pathogen yeast isolated from different habitats like animals, man, pickled cucumber, fruit juices, and water. Recent studies have demonstrated that C. parapsilosis can survive in olive oil for very long periods even exceeding 24 months. The survival of two strains of C. parapsilosis named DAPES 1890 and 1892, previously isolated from extra virgin olive oil, was influenced by the state of hydration of the cells and the polyphenols concentration of olive oil. When the cells of the two strains of C. parapsilosis were inoculated under a liophilized form into olive oil containing 45–312 mg/kg of total polyphenols, their survival in some olive oil samples reached approximately 18 months. However, if the above-mentioned inoculum was rehydrated with 1 % of distilled water, then the survival of both yeast strains in some samples of oil exceeded 24 months. The two yeast strains, recovered from the olive oil samples after 24 months of storage, showed, under SEM, spherical shapes with and without buds according to whether the inoculum was made up of rehydrated or lyophilized cells. The survival of all the C. parapsilosis strains was also negatively influenced by the polyphenols concentration of the olive oil samples inoculated both with lyophilized and rehydrated yeast cells. In the oily habitat, the polyphenols sorption to the C. parapsilosis yeast surface was observed, and during storage the polyphenols reacted with the yeast cell walls according to their concentration in the inoculated olive oil.     

Bioprospecting for oil producing microalgal strains: evaluation of oil and biomass production for ten microalgal strains

Microalgae have the ability to grow rapidly, synthesize and accumulate large amounts (approximately 20-50% of dry weight) of lipids. A successful and economically viable algae based oil industry depends on the selection of appropriate algal strains. In this study ten species of microalgae were prospected to determine their suitability for oil production: Chaetoceros gracilis, Chaetoceros mulleri, Chlorella vulgaris, Dunaliella sp., Isochrysis sp., Nannochloropsis oculata, Tetraselmis sp., Tetraselmis chui, Tetraselmis tetrathele and Thalassiosira weissflogii. The study was carried out in 3 L glass flasks subjected to constant aeration and controlled artificial illumination and temperature at two different salinities. After harvesting, the extraction of oil was carried out using the Bligh and Dyer method assisted by ultrasound. Results showed that C. gracilis presented the highest oil content and that C. vulgaris presented the highest oil production.