Anti-inflammation activities of essential oil and its constituents from indigenous cinnamon (Cinnamomum osmophloeum) twigs

In this study, chemical compositions of hydrodistilled essential oil and anti-inflammatory activities from the twigs of Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh. were investigated for the first time. The chemical constituents of the twig essential oil were further analyzed by GC-MS and they were found to be L-bornyl acetate (15.89%), caryophyllene oxide (12.98%), gamma-eudesmol (8.03%), beta-caryophyllene (6.60%), T-cadinol (5.49%), delta-cadinene (4.79%), trans-beta-elemenone (4.25%), cadalene (4.19%), and trans-cinnamaldehyde (4.07%). The effects of essential oil on nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages were also examined. Results of nitric oxide tests indicated that twig essential oil and its major constituents such as trans-cinnamaldehyde, caryophyllene oxide, L-borneol, L-bornyl acetate, eugenol, beta-caryophyllene, E-nerolidol, and cinnamyl acetate have excellent activities. These findings demonstrated that essential oil of C. osmophloeum twigs have excellent anti-inflammatory activities and thus have great potential to be used as a source for natural health products.     

濒危植物沉水樟的濒危机制研究

2003~2004年对沉水樟生殖物候进行了连续2年的野外定位观测,从沉水樟的生殖繁育过程及其种子品质两方面对其有性生殖过程进行系统研究,以探讨沉水樟种群濒危机制。结果表明:(1)沉水樟的花期长达3个月,而盛花期只有15 d左右,杂交指数值为2,繁育系统类型为兼性自交,花粉胚珠比值为244.7~2 588,为风媒传粉的自花授粉植物;(2)沉水樟种子横径为0.50~0.83 cm,纵径为0.87~1.28 cm,结实量比较多,但由于不同物候期重叠,落果率高,果实产量低;(3)沉水樟的生育期长达19个月,其中果实发育期16个月,在漫长的生殖发育过程中易受环境因素影响,种子病虫危害严重,存在严重的空心现象,影响了沉水樟种群的天然更新,这是导致沉水樟种群濒危的主要原因。同时人为破坏和对现代生境不适应也是影响沉水樟种群濒危的原因。     

Chemical constituents,antibacterial activity and mechanism of action of the essential oil from Cinnamomum cassia bark against four food-related bacteria

The majority of components of the essential oil from Cinnamomum cassia bark were identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in this study. The trans-cinnamaldehyde (68.52%) was found to be the major compound. The antibacterial activity of essential oil against four food-related bacteria was evaluated. The results showed it was stronger effect against Staphylococcus aureus with both the largest ZOI of 27.4 mm and the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2.5 mg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 5.0 mg/mL respectively. Postcontact effect (PCE) assay also confirmed the essential oil had a significant effect on the growth rate of surviving S. aureus and Escherichia coli. The mechanism against S. aureus and E. coli may be due to the increase in permeability of cell membranes, and the leakage of intracellular constituents based on cell permeability assay and electron microscopy observations.     

芳香樟精油毛细管色谱分析

采用弹性石英毛细管柱色谱法测定芳香樟精油中芳樟醇和桉叶油素含量.结果表明:采用40m石英毛细管柱,程序升温方式提升柱温,方法回收率平均达州94.2%以上,变异系数为3.21%以下,并认为该法是较好的测试方法。     

Terminating red imported fire ants using Cinnamomum osmophloeum leaf essential oil

Eleven compounds from indigenous cinnamon (Cinnamomum osmophloeum) leaf essential oil were identified by GC-MS and the dominant constituent was trans-cinnamaldehyde (79.85%). The toxicity of leaf essential oil and trans-cinnamaldehyde were then determined to study their effectiveness in controlling the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren. The results of the toxicity tests indicated that both the indigenous cinnamon leaf essential oil and trans-cinnamaldehyde had an excellent inhibitory effect in controlling the red imported fire ant. The LT(50) values for both 2% leaf essential oil and 2% trans-cinnamaldehyde after open exposure were 105.0min and 32.2min; after close exposure were 18.5min and 21.2min, respectively.     

Antileishmanial activity of Eugenol-rich essential oil from Ocimum gratissimum

Leishmaniasis is a group of diseases with a large spectrum of clinical manifestations caused by protozoans of the genus Leishmania. Here we demonstrate the leishmanicidal activity of the essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum as well as its main constituent, eugenol. The eugenol-rich essential oil of O. gratissimum progressively inhibited Leishmania amazonensis growth at concentrations ranging from 100 to 1000 microg/ml. The IC50 (sub-inhibitory concentration) of the essential oil for promastigotes and amastigotes were respectively 135 and 100 microg/ml and the IC50 of eugenol was 80 microg/ml for promastigote forms. L. amazonensis exposed to essential oil at concentrations corresponding to IC50 for promastigotes and for amastigotes underwent considerable ultrastructural alterations, as shown by transmission electron microscopy. Two or more nuclei or flagella were observed in 31% and 23.3% of treated amastigote and promastigote forms, respectively, suggesting interference in cell division. Considerable mitochondrial swelling was observed in essential oil-treated promastigotes and amastigotes, which had the inner mitochondrial membrane altered, with a significant increase in the number of cristae; in some amastigotes the mitochondrial matrix became less electron-dense. The minimum inhibitory concentration for both promastigotes and amastigotes was 150 microg/ml. Pretreatment of mouse peritoneal macrophages with 100 and 150 microg/ml essential oil reduced the indices of association between promastigotes and the macrophages, followed by increased in nitric oxide production by the infected macrophages. The essential oil showed no cytototoxic effects against mammalian cells. This set of results suggests that O. gratissimum essential oil and its compounds could be used as sources for new antileishmanial drugs.     

Antimicrobial activity of six constituents of essential oil from Salvia

The antimicrobial activity of three Salvia species, i.e. S. santolinifolia, S. hydrangea and S. mirzayanii, essential oils were investigated. The essential oils were obtained from the aerial parts of plants and analyzed by GC-MS. The main constituents of aforementioned species were alpha-pinene (72.4%), beta-pinene (6.6%) and limonene (5.3%); beta-caryophyllene (25.1%), 1,8-cineol (15.2%) and caryophyllene oxide (11.5%); alpha-terpinenyl acetate (22.6%), 1,8-cineol (21.2%) and linalool (8.9%), respectively. Bioassays exhibited that the property of the oil of S. myrzayanii was superior to others. The antimicrobial activity of essential oil from Salvia species may well be due to the presence of synergy between six tested compounds (linalool, 1,8-cineol, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, beta-caryophyllene and limonene) and other constituents of the oils with various degrees of antimicrobial activity. Among these, linalool and 1,8-cineol had the highest antimicrobial activity.     

福建省樟树叶精油的主成分分析及其化学型

对来源于福建省28个县（市）的329份樟树[Cinnamomum camphora（L．）Presl]叶精油的21个主要化学成分（占总化学成分含量的90．735％）进行了主成分分析和聚类分析。提取出12个主成分因子,累计贡献率达到84．342％,可基本描述樟树叶精油21个主要化学成分的变异情况。取λ=5．5,329份叶精油样品可被分为5个化学型：芳樟型（主要成分为芳樟醇）、脑樟型（主要成分为樟脑）、桉樟型（主要成分为1,8-桉叶油素）、黄樟型（主要成分为黄樟油素）和杂樟型（无明显主要成分）。除杂樟型外,其他化学型樟树叶精油的主要化学成分均较一致。     

Temporal aspects of the fine-scale genetic structure in a population of Cinnamomum insularimontanum (Lauraceae)

Cinnamomum insularimontanum Hayata (Lauraceae) is an insect-pollinated, broad-leaved evergreen tree with bird-dispersed seeds. We used allozyme loci, Wright's fixation index, spatial autocorrelation statistics (Moran's I), and coancestry measures to examine changes in genetic structure among four age-classes within a recently founded study population (60 x 100 m area) in southern Korea. There were no significant differences in expected heterozygosity among age classes. However, significant genetic differentiation among age classes was detected (P<0.0001). Fixation indices within age classes showed significant deficits of observed heterozygosity, which may be caused by partial selfing. The homogeneity of genetic structure among four age-classes may reflect similar spatial patterns of seed immigration from surrounding populations occurring year after year. Finally, the average Moran's I and coancestry estimates indicated essentially random spatial distributions of alleles for each of the four age-classes and between seedlings and 2-4 year juveniles vs adult trees. These findings are very similar to those observed in the same study area for another member of the Lauraceae, Neolitsea sericea, which has a very similar life history and ecological characteristics (ie, bird-dispersed fruits, insect pollination, and a similar age structure). Together, these results suggest that the fleshy drupes of lauraceous species represent an adaptation to aid in the independent dispersal of seed by birds, which in turn may increase the genetic diversity of founders colonizing new habitats.     

福建樟树叶油的化学成分及其含量分析

樟树[Cinnamomum camphora（L．）Pres]叶油中的许多化学成分有广泛而重要的用途。有研究表明,由于长期受个体发育、系统发育、生殖隔离及生态环境的作用,樟树不同种群和个体之间精油的化学成分差异较大,有必要对樟树不同居群和不同个体精油的化学成分及其含量进行系统的研究。作者以分布在福建省内的樟树为调查对象,利用GC—MS法系统测定福建樟树叶油的化学成分及其含量,为樟树叶油化学成分的挖掘、开发利用和樟树的良种选育提供科学依据。     

芳樟无性系叶精油及芳樟醇含量变异分析

芳樟[ Cinnamomum camphora var.linaloolifera Fujita.]个体自然结果率极低,甚至只开花不结实,而其群体结果率却较高[1].通过自然授粉繁殖的芳樟子代叶精油类型(主要成分)存在分离现象,如叶精油主含芳樟醇的母株,可产生叶精油主含樟脑和桉叶油素的有性后代,且后代个体间芳樟醇含量差异大[2].而以此为原料提取的精油实为杂樟油,提纯难度大,市场价格受到严重影响,因此利用无性系收割枝叶方式进行芳樟香料林产业化开发受到广泛重视[3].精油为植物次生代谢物,其含量及组成受遗传和环境因子双重控制[4-6],因而,使芳樟优良无性系叶精油及其主成分保留母株的优良特性并保持稳定,是实现芳樟产业化开发的关键.作者对优良芳樟组培和扦插无性系叶精油及芳樟醇含量进行了测定,并分析其变异状况,以期为芳樟产业化开发提供实验数据.     

加拿大一枝黄花精油的化学成分及其抗菌活性

用GC—MS联用技术分析了加拿大一枝黄花（Solidago canadensis L．）精油的化学组成和含量,并测定了精油对6种农业病原真菌的抗菌活性。从加拿大一枝黄花的精油中鉴定出50种成分,占色谱峰总面积的91．08％,（＋）一大拢牛儿烯D（28．64％）、α-蒎烯（15、08％）、柠檬烯（11．80％）为精油的主要成分。抗菌活性研究结果表明,加拿大一枝黄花精油对水稻纹枯病和黄瓜立枯病的抑制作用最强,对番茄灰霉病显示出中等抑制作用,但对番茄早疫病、菜豆炭疽病和葡萄炭疽病的抑制作用很弱。     

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oil from Artemisia feddei

The chemical components of the essential oil from Artemisia feddei LEV. et VNT. were analyzed using GC-MS. Ninety-nine compounds, accounting for 96.23% of the extracted essential oil, were identified. The main oil compounds were 1,8-cineole (16.86%), chamazulene (9.04%), alpha-terpineol (8.18%), alpha-phellandrene (5.78%), alpha-thujone (5.51%), alpha-terpinyl acetate (5.07%), borneol (5.08%), beta- caryophyllene (4.71%), camphor (4.04%), and terpinen-4-ol (3.04%). The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil and some of its compounds was tested against 15 different genera of oral bacteria. The essential oil from A. feddei had a considerable inhibitory effect on all the obligate anaerobic bacteria tested (MICs, 0.025 to 0.05 mg/ml; MBCs, 0.025 to 0.1mg/ml), whereas the major compounds demonstrated different degrees of growth inhibition.     

Chemical composition of volatile oil from Cinnamomum zeylanicum buds

The hydro-distilled volatile oil of the Cinnamomum zeylanicum (C. zeylanicum) buds was analyzed using GC and GC-MS for the first time. Thirty-four compounds representing approximately 98% of the oil was characterized. It consists of terpene hydrocarbons (78%) and oxygenated terpenoids (9%). alpha-Bergamotene (27.38%) and alpha-copaene (23.05%) are found to be the major compounds. A comparison of the chemical composition of the oil was made with that of flowers and fruits.     

Biological activity of Cymbopogon schoenanthus essential oil

IntroductionA number of plant species, including Cymbopogon schoenanthus, are traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases. C. schoenanthus is currently, traded in the Saudi markets, and thought to have medicinal value. This study aimed at investigating the biological activities of C. schoenanthus against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and to identify its chemical ingredients.Materials and methodsThe inhibitory effects of water extracts of C. schoenanthus essential oils were evaluated against ten isolates of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria using the agar well diffusion and dilution methods. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was assayed using the Broth microdilution test on five of the ten isolates. The death rates were determined by the time kill assay, done according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. The chemical composition of the essential oils of the plant was performed using GC/MS.ResultsThe C. schoenanthus essential oil was effective against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) S. aureus (MRSA) and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The essential oil was not effective against Staphylococcus saprophyticus at the highest concentration applied of >150 μg/ml. The MIC values were as follows: 9.37 μg/ml for E. coli 4.69 μg/ml for S. aureus (MRSA), 2.34 mg/ml for MSSA and 2.34 μg/ml for K. pneumoniae. The time-kill assay indicated that there was a sharp time dependent decline in K. pneumoniae counts in the presence of the oil. This is in contrast to a gradual decline in the case of S. aureus under the same conditions. The eight major components of the essential oil were: piperitone (14.6%), cyclohexanemethanol (11.6%), β-elemene (11.6%), α-eudesmol (11.5%), elemol (10.8%), β-eudesmol (8.5%), 2-naphthalenemethanol (7.1%) and γ-eudesmol (4.2%).ConclusionThe results of the present study provide a scientific validation for the traditional use of C. schoenanthus as an antibacterial agent. Future work is needed to investigate and explore its application in the environmental and medical fields. In addition, to evaluating the efficacy of the individual ingredients separately to better understand the underlying mechanism.     

我国樟属精油资源研究近况

概述我国樟属（ＣｉｎｎａｍｏｍｕｍＢｌ．）植物资源的地理分布与现状,近年我国樟属枝叶精油化学成分及化学类型的研究以及枝叶蒸油取脑的精油开发新途径,研究结果表明,建立单一化学类型种植基地,可确保生产高质量樟属精油,同时也能保护樟属化学类型的种质资源。     

The antimicrobial activity of essential oil from Dracocephalum foetidum against pathogenic microorganisms

A number of essential oils from Mongolian aromatic plants are claimed to have antimicrobial activities. The essential oil of Dracocephalum foetidum, a popular essential oil used in Mongolian traditional medicine, was examined for its antimicrobial activity. Eight human pathogenic microorganisms including B. subtilis, S. aureus, M. lutens, E. hirae, S. mutans, E. coli, C. albicans, and S. cerevisiae were examined. The essential oil of Dracocephalum foetidum exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against most of the pathogenic bacteria and yeast strains that were tested; by both the agar diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay (MIC range was 26-2592 microg/ml). Interestingly, Dracocephalum foetidum even showed antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. We also analyzed the chemical composition of the oil by GC-MS and identified several major components, including n-Mentha-1,8-dien-10-al, limonene, geranial, and neral.     

Antimicrobial activity and composition of the essential oil of Gontscharovia popovii from Iran

The aerial parts of Gontscharovia popovii (B. Fedtsch. and Gontsch.) Boriss. were collected at full flowering stage. The essential oil was isolated by hydrodistillation and analyzed by a combination of capillary GC and GC-MS. Thirty-one components were identified with the main constituent being carvacrol (71.9%), followed by linalool (5.5%), p-cymene (4.5%) and gamma-terpinene (4.4%). The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of G. popovii was studied against seven Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and three fungi (Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus niger). The results of the bioassays showed that the oil exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against all the tested fungi and bacteria except for the resistant bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa.