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In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oils from aerial parts ofCentaurea grinensisReuter (K) collected at Žuta Lova, near Senj (Croatia), and aerial parts (L1) and flowers (L2) ofC. apiculataLedeb. collected near Rebro village, near Breznik town, Znepole Region (Bulgaria), both belonging to subgenusLopholoma(Cass.) Dobrocz, was evaluated by GC and GC-MS. The main components ofKwere 4-vinyl guaiacol (21.5%), hexadecanoic acid (16.2%), acetophenone (12.5%). Caryophyllene oxide (15.8%) together with sphathulenol (14.5%) and humulene epoxide II (9.4%) were recognized as the main constituent of both the aerial part (L1) and flowers (L2) ofC. apiculata. Furthermore, a complete review on the composition of the essential oils of all theCentaureataxa belonging to subgenusLopholomastudied so far has been inserted and cluster analysis (PCA) was carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

BallotaL. comprises several relevant species largely used for their excellent therapeutic properties.Ballota hispanica(L.) Benth. is widely used in herbal medicine, and it is sold in herbalist shops for its sedative and antispasmodic properties. Considering its traditional medicinal use and the lack of scientific studies on the volatile components of this species as well as on its biological activities, in this study the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts ofB. hispanica, collected in Sicily, was evaluated by gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. α-Elemol was the most abundant component of the oil (10.9%), followed by α-ylangene (8.5%), γ-dodecalactone (5.1%), and manoyl oxide (4.8%). A comparison was made of the composition of the differentBallotataxa studied so far showing a peculiar profile ofB. hispanica. Futhermore, the antimicrobial and the free radical scavenging activities of the oil were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We report on a systematic investigation of the cold and mildly ionized gaseous baryonic metal components of our Galaxy, through the analysis of high-resolution Chandra andXMM-Newton spectra of two samples of Galactic and extragalactic sources. The comparison between lines of sight towards sources located in the disc of our Galaxy and extragalactic sources allows us for the first time to clearly distinguish between gaseous metal components in the disc and halo of our Galaxy. We find that a warm ionized metal medium (WIMM) permeates a large volume above and below the Galaxy's disc, perhaps up to the circum-galactic space. This halo WIMM imprints virtually the totality of the OIand OII absorption seen in the spectra of our extragalactic targets, has a temperature of THalo WIMM = 2900 ± 900 K, a density (nH)Halo WIMM = 0.023 ± 0.009 cm-3 and a metallicity ZHalo WIMM = (0.4 ± 0.1) Z☉. Consistently with previous works, we also confirm that the disc of the Galaxy contains at least two distinct gaseous metal components, one cold and neutral (the CNMM: cold neutral metal medium) and onewarm and mildly ionized, with the same temperature of the halo WIMM, but higher density ((nH)DiscWIMM= 0.09 ± 0.03 cm-3) and metallicity (ZDiscWIMM = 0.8 ± 0.1 Z☉). By adopting a simple disc+sphere geometry for the Galaxy, we estimate masses of the CNMM and the total (disc + halo) WIMM of MCNMM ≲ 8 × 108 M☉ and MWIMM ≃ 8.2 × 109 M☉. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oil of roots, branches, leaves, flowers and fruits of Periploca laevigata Aiton subsp. angustifolia (Apocynaceae) from Lampedusa Island has been obtained by hydrodistillation and its composition analysed. The analyses allowed the identification and quantification of 86 volatile compounds. Branches showed the higher diversity with 57 compounds followed by fruits with 33, roots with 23, flowers with 16 and leaves with six compounds, respectively. In the matrices examined three constituents, heneicosane, docosane and tricosane are in common, although with different percentages. At least the most abundant compounds found in the matrices have been reported to have several biological activities. 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde identified in the roots as the most abundant component (70.7%) and present with 8.3% in the branches is a potent tyrosinase inhibitor present in several African medicinal plants, and thus being used as an ingredient in cosmetic and other medicinal products, primarily in relation to hyperpigmentation. Among the compounds identified, several play a role as semiochemicals for many animals, and 28 allomones, 43 pheromones, 21 kairomones have been identified. P. laevigata subsp. angustifolia in Lampedusa Island is host to a community of visitors, and the possible ecological role of the volatiles found is briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sideritis italica (Miller) Greuter et Burdet is a widespread Mediterranean Lamiacea. Essential oils from S. italica flowerheads and leaves were extracted by hydrodistillation and then tested for their potential allelopathic activity against Raphanus sativus L. (Magnoliophyta) and the moss Tortula muralis (Hedw.) (Bryophyta), two organisms already tested for allelopathy, and against two bryophytes growing in the same environment as S. italica: the moss Bryum capillare Hedw. and the liverwort Lunularia cruciata (L.) Dum. For R. sativus, we considered seed germination and root and epicotyl growth. For the mosses, we used spore germination and protonemata development, while for the liverwort, we studied thallus and rhizoid growth as well as gemma development. Leaf oil was more active than flowerhead oil. The leaf essential oil caused a decrease in the percentage of seed germination and inhibition of root and epicotyl growth in R. sativus. Furthermore, it caused a strong inhibition of spore germination and protonemal development in both the mosses T. muralis and B. capillare and caused inhibition of gemma development and browning and inhibition of apical growth in the thallus of L. cruciata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In southern Italy, Spartium junceum (Spanish broom) is severely affected by a phytoplasmal disease, Spartium witches'-broom (SpaWB). The volatile fractions extracted from flowers of healthy and diseased plants, examined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, appeared to be quantitatively and qualitatively different. In both the healthy and the diseased plants, the main components were n-alkanes, which occurred at a rate of 55.2% and 38.8%, respectively. The level of aliphatic acids was considerably lower in flowers of the diseased plants than in those of the healthy plants (4.5% vs. 18.7%). Sesquiterpenes were detected only in the diseased plants. It is possible that the changes in the composition of secondary metabolites of diseased plants can be related to plant defense responses. Abbreviations: AP, apple proliferation; EY, elm yellows; SpaWB, Spartium witches'-broom [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marrubium globosum Montbr. et Auch. ex Benth. ssp. libanoticum Boiss. (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, asthma, coughs and other pulmonary and urinary problems. The goal of our study was to assess the biological activity of M. globosum testing the methanol extract of aerial parts for its antibacterial activity against bacteria known to cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, skin and urinary disorders; the extract showed antibacterial effects against all the strains of bacteria used. A purification of this active extract showed the presence, as main constituents, of verbascoside, isorhamnetin 3-O-beta-D-rutinoside, quercetin 3-O-beta-D-rutinoside, naringenin 7-O-beta-D-glucoside, kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-rutinoside, isorhamnetin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside, quercetin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside, apigenin 7-O-(3''-p-coumaryl)-glucoside, p-methoxy-cinnamic acid, kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucoside and apigenin 7-O-beta-D-glucoside. The pure compounds were tested for their antibacterial activity; quercetin 3-O-beta-D-rutinoside, verbascoside and naringenin 7-O-beta-D-glucoside showed the greatest activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study monitored the release of mutagenic/carcinogenic compounds into mineral water (natural and carbonated) from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, using a plant mutagenicity test which reveals micronuclei formation in Tradescantia pollen cells (Trad/MCN test), a DNA damage assay (Comet assay) on human leukocytes and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for the characterisation of migrants. The water samples were collected at a bottling plant and stored in PET bottles for a period ranging from 1 to 12 months. Every month some samples were randomly collected and lyophilised, the residual powders were extracted with organic solvents and then analysed by GC/MS and tested for DNA damage in human leukocytes, or reconstituted with distilled water to obtain concentrates for the exposure of Tradescantia inflorescences. Micronuclei increase in pollen was found only in natural mineral water stored for 2 months. DNA-damaging activity was found in many of the natural and carbonated water samples. Spring water was negative in the plant micronuclei test and the Comet assay, whereas distributed spring water showed DNA-damaging effects, suggesting a possible introduction of genotoxins through the distribution pipelines. GC/MS analysis showed the presence in mineral water of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, a nongenotoxic hepatocarcinogenic plasticizer, after 9 months of storage in PET bottles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Synergistic physiologic mechanisms involving the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), the sympathetic nervous system, and the arginine-vasopressin system play an integral role in blood pressure homeostasis. A subset of patients with sepsis experience septic shock with attendant circulatory, cellular, and metabolic abnormalities. Septic shock is associated with increased mortality because of an inadequacy to maintain mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) despite volume resuscitation and the use of vasopressors. Vasodilatory shock raises the dose of vasopressors required to maintain a MAP of > 65 mm Hg. The diminished response to endogenous angiotensin II in sepsis-induced vasoplegia may be related to the aberrant RAS activation that stimulates a proinflammatory beneficial antibacterial response, increasing the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines that downregulate AT-1 receptors expression. Moreover, excessive systemic upregulation of nitric oxide synthase, stimulation of prostaglandin synthesis, and activation of ATP-sensitive potassium channels followed by reduced vascular entry of calcium ions are putative mechanisms in the reduced responsiveness to vasopressors. However, intravenous angiotensin II in catecholamine-resistant septic shock patients showed substantial evidence of raising the MAP to target hemodynamic levels, thus allowing time to treat underlying conditions. Nevertheless, evidence of catecholamine-sparing effect by adding angiotensin II, aimed at increasing the therapeutic index of vasopressor therapy, does not show an attenuation of end-organ damage. The use of angiotensin II in septic shock has not been evaluated in patients who are not catecholamine resistant. This, in conjunction with an evolving definition of catecholamine resistance, provides an opportunity for further evaluation of exogenous angiotensin II in septic shock., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest Alexander G. Truesdell is a consultant and member of the Speakers Bureau of Abiomed Inc. David A. Morrow reports no conflicts relevant to this work and reports grants from Anthos Therapeutics, grants and personal fees from AstraZeneca, personal fees from Bayer Pharma, grants from Daiichi Sankyo, grants from Eisai,grants from GlaxoSmithKline, personal fees from InCarda, grants from Medicines Company, grants and personal fees from Merck & Co, grants and personal fees from Novartis, grants from Pfizer, grants from Quark, grants from Regeneron, grants and personal fees from Roche Diagnostics, grants from Siemens, grants from Takeda, and grants from Zora Biosciences outside the submitted work; Dr. Morrow is also a member of the TIMI Study Group which has received institutional research grant support through Brigham and Women's Hospital from Abbott; Amgen; Aralez; AstraZeneca; Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; BRAHMS, Daiichi-Sankyo; Eisai; GlaxoSmithKline; Intarcia; Janssen; MedImmune; Merck; Novartis; Pfizer; Poxel; Quark Pharmaceuticals; Regeneron; Roche; Siemens; Takeda; The Medicines Company; and Zora Biosciences. E. Magnus Ohman mentions Chiesi (USA), Jansen Pharmaceutical, Xylocor, Cardinal Health, Milestone Pharmaceutical, Abiomed, and Cara Therapeutics. Ian C. Gilchrist reports no conflicts relevant to this work and is a consultant for Terumo Medical, Inc. Judith S. Hochman reports no conflicts relevant to this work; Dr. Hochman is PI for the ISCHEMIA trial for which, in addition to support by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant, there were in-kind donations for participating sites from Abbott Vascular; Medtronic, Inc.; St. Jude Medical, Inc.; Volcano Corporation; Arbor Pharmaceuticals, LLC; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP; Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.; Omron Healthcare, Inc.; and Amgen Inc.; and financial donations from Arbor Pharmaceuticals LLC and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP. Navin K. Kapur is a consultant/receives speaker honoraria from Abbott, Abiomed, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, LivaNova, Getinge, MD Start, and Precardia as well as institutional research grants from Abiomed, Boston Scientific, and MD Start. Ron Waksman is an advisory board/board member and consultant for Abbott Vascular, Amgen, Pi-Cardia LTD, Cardioset, Medtronic, Philips (Volcano), and Boston Scientific Corp; consultant for Biosensors, Biotronik; received grant support from Abbott Vascular, AstraZeneca, Biosensors, Biotronik, Chiesi, and Boston Scientific Corp; is on the Speaker Bureau of AstraZeneca and Chiesi; and is an investor in MedAlliance. Eric Chen is an employee of Abbott. Adam DeVore reports research funding through his institution from the American Heart Association; Amgen; AstraZeneca; Bayer; Intra-Cellular Therapies; American Regent, Inc; the NHLBI; Novartis; and PCORI. He also provides consulting services for Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, CareDx, InnaMed, LivaNova, Mardil Medical, Novartis, Procyrion, scPharmaceuticals, Story Health and Zoll and has also received non-financial support from Abbott for educational activities. William O’Neill is a consultant for Abiomed and Abbott and receives consulting fees for his services. Charles A. Simonton is an employee of Abiomed. Behram N. Tehrani is a consultant for Medtronic. Alastair G. Proudfoot, Andrew D. Althouse, Fernando Aguel, Fred Senatore, Holger Thiele , Ileana Pina, John Sapirstein, Marc Samsky, Mitchell Krucoff, Sunil Rao, Timothy D. Henry, Valarie Morrow, William T. Abraham, Joaquin E. Cigarroa, Jonathan Seltzer, and Meir Shinnar all report no conflicts relevant to this work.

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy, previously called subclinical hepatic encephalopathy, represents the earliest and mildest form of hepatic encephalopathy. It is the most under-recognized and underdiagnosed form of hepatic encephalopathy. Although there is no diagnostic gold standard, validated testing modalities have been devised to detect this neurocognitive complication. The newest developments include medically related apps for smartphones or tablets that can be easily used to diagnose and monitor minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Although recognition of this neurocognitive impairment can be challenging, early detection is paramount with the discovery of an association with worse clinical outcomes in patients diagnosed with minimal hepatic encephalopathy., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors have nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a multifaceted disorder, with effects stretching far beyond office visits and hospitalizations. Patients with HE suffer from varying degrees of altered consciousness, intellectual disability, and personality changes. A large social impact exists for patients with HE. Quality of life and activities of daily living, such as work capacity, driving ability, and sleep quality, have been shown to be affected. Additionally, caregiver and financial burdens are highly prevalent. Multiple tools exist to assess quality of life, including the CLD-Q questionnaire. Common treatments for HE, including rifaximin and lactulose, have been shown to improve overall quality of life., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors have nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

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In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oil from the aerial parts of Anthemis secundiramea Biv. subsp. secundiramea L. collected in Sicily was evaluated by GC and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The main components of A. secundiramea were (Z)-lyratyl acetate (14.6%), (Z)-chrysanthenyl acetate (9.9%), (Z)-chrysanthenol (8.7%) and (E)-chrysanthenyl acetate (7.7%). The comparing with other studied oils of genus Anthemis belonging to the same clade is discussed. Antibacterial and antifungal activities against some micro-organisms infesting historical art craft, were also determined.

Distributive shock is a subset of shock marked by decreased systemic vascular resistance, organ hypoperfusion and altered oxygen extraction. Despite the use of intravenous fluids and either higher dose of catecholamines or other additional exogenous vasopressors to maintain blood pressure in the target range, the rate of mortality remains higher in patients with septic shock. Therefore, there is clearly an unmet need for additional safe and effective treatments. The use of angiotensin II to raise the mean arterial pressure (MAP) could provide additional therapy and the opportunity to evaluate a catecholamine-sparing effect by decreasing the dose of concomitant catecholamines while maintaining a target MAP. ATHOS-3 (Angiotensin II for the Treatment of High-Output Shock phase 3; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02338843) was an adequate and well-controlled trial. The primary endpoint was the rate of MAP response at hour 3 of treatment with study drug, defined as either a 10-mmHg increase from baseline in MAP or a MAP of at least 75 mmHg. The secondary endpoints were changes from baseline in Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores (total and cardiovascular). Mortality was an exploratory endpoint. The trial provided substantial evidence of the effectiveness of angiotensin II in raising blood pressure over placebo in patients with distributive shock, while keeping catecholamine levels constant. There was no change in the secondary endpoint of total SOFA scores relative to placebo when catecholamine use was reduced in lieu of angiotensin II treatment. There was a slight decrease in the secondary endpoint of cardiovascular SOFA score relative to placebo during the catecholamine-sparing phase, reflecting the catecholamine-sparing effect. There was a consistent trend in decreased mortality relative to placebo over the 28-day study period. Based on the agreements emanating from the special protocol assessment to assess blood pressure effects, the data from this single study supported approval of angiotensin II by the Food and Drug Administration for marketing in the USA.

Three Ballota species, Ballota undulata, Ballota saxatilis and Ballota nigra ssp. foetida, were investigated for their cytotoxicity against two human cancer cells, hepatoma HepG2 cell line and breast cancer MCF-7 cell line, and for their antioxidant activity. The chemical composition of essential oils was studied by GC and GC-MS. Sesquiterpenes were the main constituents. The most antiproliferative essential oil against HepG2 cells was B. undulata with a percentage of inhibition of 81.36 ± 3.54 at a concentration of 100 μg/mL, while against MCF-7 cells essential oil from B. saxatilis was the most active with a percentage of inhibition of 24.18 ± 1.13 at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. The antioxidant activity was investigated by DPPH test for all the oils. B. undulata showed the highest antiradical effect, with IC 50 value of 529.7 ± 37.4 μg/mL.

In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Ononis reclinata L., a species not previously investigated, collected in Sicily was evaluated by GC and Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry. The main components of O. reclinata were menthone (43.6%), isopimpinellin (38.4%) and pulegone (11.2%). The comparison with other studied oils of genus Ononis showed a peculiar and characteristic profile.

Ocimum basilicum L. (Lamiaceae) is an aromatic plant of great tradition in the Mediterranean area. Its economic importance is growing up determining an expansion of cultivation. This paper evaluated the morphological traits, the chemical profiles, and antibacterial activity of 21 cultivars of basil belonging to 'Genovese', 'Napoletano', and 'Purple basil' types. The cultivars were characterized by different growth rate and morphological traits. The chemical composition of the oils analyzed by GC and GC/MS analysis, supported by the PCA analysis, underlined the strong influence of chemotype. It is noteworthy that estragole, never present in Genovese and purple basil types, occurred in Napoletano type. The high presence of eugenol, methyl eugenol, and linalool in the majority of cultivars, belonging both to Genovese and to Napoletano types was registered. Of great interest resulted the composition of the purple basil 'Opal'. All the samples tested exhibited similar antibiotic profiles with moderate antibacterial activity. The results enhanced the importance of determination of essential-oil profile in the selection of cultivars characterized by diverse morphological traits and are useful for different purposes., (© 2016 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zürich.)

The chemical composition of the essential oil from flowers of Eringiun triquetrum Vahl. collected in Sicily was evaluated by GC and GC-MS. The main components were pulegone (50.6%), piperitenone (30.5%) and menthone (7.0%). Comparison of this oil with other studied oils of Eringium species is dis6ussed. The oil showed good antibacterial and antifungal activities against some microorganisms that infest historical art works.

Centaurea is the largest genus within the Asteraceae family. Many members of this genus are used in traditional folk medicine, such as Centaurea pulchella used to treat skin problems such as to resolve the abscess. Although biological activities of many Centaurea species have been investigated in different countries and Turkey, cytotoxic effect of C. patula, C. pulchella and C. tchihatcheffii has not been studied yet. Melanoma is one of the most invasive and deadly forms of skin cancer. Therefore, in an ongoing effort to identify new natural anticancer products for the treatment and/or prevention of melanoma cancer, the present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of these Centaurea species, collected from Central Anatolia region of Turkey on cell growth and death in human melanoma cell line, A375.The results revealed that all extracts were able to inhibit, after 48 h of treatment, the growth of cancer cells, that could be related to an overall action of the phenolic compounds present. In fact, C. pulchella, with the highest level of phenolics, showed a major activity followed by C. patula and C. tchihatcheffii. Our data also demonstrate that these natural products induce apoptotic cell death. In conclusion, the study of plant extracts for their cytotoxic and apoptotic properties has shown that medicinal herbs from Centaurea species might have also importance in the prevention and treatment of melanoma.

The chemical profile of the essential oils in ten populations of the genus Helichrysum Mill. (Asteraceae), collected in the loci classici of the nomenclatural types of the taxa endemic to Sicily, were analyzed. Our results confirm that the analysis of secondary metabolites can be used to fingerprint wild populations of Helichrysum, the chemical profiles being coherent with the systematic arrangement of the investigated populations in three main clusters, referring to the aggregates of H. stoechas, H. rupestre, and H. italicum, all belonging to the section Stoechadina. The correct nomenclatural designation of the investigated populations is discussed and the following two new combinations are proposed: Helichrysum preslianum subsp. compactum (Guss.) Maggio, Bruno, Guarino, Senatore & Ilardi and Helichrysum panormitanum subsp. latifolium Maggio, Bruno, Guarino, Senatore & Ilardi., (Copyright © 2016 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.)

The chemical compositions of the essential oil and of the non-polar extracts (petroleum ether, dichloromethane) of the aerial parts (flowers, leaves and stems) of Salvia argentea L. were determined by GC-FID and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. 14-Hydroxy-α-humulene (40.1%) was recognised as the main constituents of the essential oil of S. argentea, together with 1,3,8-p-menthatriene (12.1%), globulol (7.4%) and β-sesquiphellandrene (5.8%). Tritriacontane (9.9% and 14.1%), heptacosane (8.4% and 10.5%), hentriacontane (8.3% and 10.9%), tetradecanal (8.4% and 10.2%) and methyldotriacontane (7.9% and 7.6%) were recognised as the main constituents of the extracts in petroleum ether and dichloromethane, respectively, whereas methyl linolenate (36.6% and 13.5%) and methyl myristoleate (10.5% and 18.5%) were recognised as the main constituents of the methylated extracts.

In this study the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Pulicaria vulgaris var. graeca (Sch.-Bip.) Fiori collected in Sicily was evaluated by GC and GC-MS. The main components of P. vulgaris var. graeca oil were hexadecanoic acid (21.7%), β-caryophyllene (14.3%) and geranyl propionate (8.2%). The comparison with other studied oils of genus Pulicaria is discussed. Antibacterial activity against several bacteria, including some ones infesting historical art craft, was also determined.

Hydrodistillation of the flowers (BpFI) of and fruits (BpFr) of Bupleurumfontanesii Guss. ex Caruel gave two oils that were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The main components were α-elemol (16.7%), caryophyllene oxide (16.4%) and heptacosane (15.9%) in BpFl, and spathulenol (16.8%), caryophylladienol I (13.2%) and α-elemol (12.8%) in BpFr. A good antimicrobial activity against several microorganisms, including Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus niger, all infesting historical art craft, was also determined.

A complete chemical investigation of Achillea ligustica All. growing at Lipari (Aeolian Island, Sicily) has been carried out. Seventeen metabolites have been isolated and characterised from dichloromethane and methanol extracts of flowers and aerial parts, and GC/MS analyses of petroleum ether extracts was carried out, revealing a composition in sesquiterpenoids similar to those reported for populations from Greece, Sicily and Algeria, showing the presence of (3RS,6RS)-2,6-dimethyl-1,7-octadiene-3,6-diol (1), 2,6-dimethyl-octa-3(E),7-diene-2,6-diol (2), iso-seco-tanapartholide (3) from DCM fraction. In addition from the methanolic extract of the aerial parts, peculiar flavonoid glucuronides have been isolated: i.e. apigenin-7-O-glucuronide (12) and quercetin 3-O-glucuronide (14). These metabolites have been reported in this species for the first time. The isolated flavonoids were previously recognised in several species of this complex genus and for this reason seems to be highly retained secondary metabolites of importance from the chemotaxonomic point of view.

In this study, the chemical composition of the essential oil from flowers and leaves of Thapsia garganica L. collected in Sicily was evaluated by GC and GC-MS. The main components of T. garganica flower oil (T.f.) were chamazulene (58.3%), humulene oxide II (9.0%), tricosane (8.2%) and pentacosane (8.2%). Also the oil from leaves (T.l.) was characterised by high content of chamazulene (49.2%). Other abundant metabolites were 1,4-dimethylazulene (18.5%), (E)-phytol (6.3%) and neophytadiene (5.1%). The comparison with other studied oils of genus Thapsia is discussed. Antimicrobial activity against several micro-organisms, including some ones infesting historical art craft, was also determined.

The essential oils from Origanum dictamnus, Origanum libanoticum and Origanum microphyllum were analysed by GC-MS, finding carvacrol, p-cymene, linalool, γ-terpinene and terpinen-4-ol as major components. The antioxidant activity by the DPPH and FRAP tests and the antiproliferative activity against two human cancer cell lines, LoVo and HepG2, were investigated, showing that the essential oil of O. dictamnus was statistically the most inhibitory on both the cell lines, while all the oils exerted a weak antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the samples were tested against 10 Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria; all the oils were active on Gram-positive bacteria but O. dictamnus essential oil was the most effective (MIC = 25-50 μg/mL), showing also a good activity against the Gram-negative Escherichia coli (MIC = 50 μg/mL). Data suggest that these essential oils and particularly O. dictamnus oil could be used as valuable new flavours with functional properties for food or nutraceutical products.

This study is aimed at assessing the essential oil composition, total phenolic content, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Thymus vulgaris collected in five different area of the Campania Region, Southern Italy. The chemical composition of the essential oils was studied by GC-flame ionization detector (FID) and GC/MS; the biological activities were evaluated through determination of MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and evaluation of antioxidant activity. In total, 134 compounds were identified. The oils were mainly composed of phenolic compounds, and all oils belonged to the chemotype thymol. The antimicrobial activity of the five oils was assayed against ten bacterial strains. The oils showed different inhibitory activity against some Gram-positive pathogens. The total phenol content in the essential oils ranged from 77.6-165.1 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g. The results reported here may help to shed light on the complex chemotaxonomy of the genus Thymus. These oils could be used in many fields as natural preservatives of food and as nutraceuticals.

The phytochemical composition of the essential oils of three Sideritis libanotica subspecies, namely S. libanotica ssp. libanotica, S. libanotica ssp. linearis and S. libanotica ssp. michroclamys, all collected in Lebanon, was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The diterpene sideridiol was recognized as the main constituent of both S. libanotica ssp. libanotica (50.8%) and S. libanotica ssp. michroclamys (18.4%) oils, while hexadecanoic acid (10.5%) prevailed in S. libanotica ssp. linearis. The antioxidant activity of the oils was studied in two cell free systems by DPPH radical scavenging and ferric ion reduction (FRAP) assays; only S. libanotica ssp. linearis showed a moderate activity when assayed by the FRAP test (0.6 ± 0.01 mmol TE/mL).

The chemical composition of the essential oil isolated from the aerial parts of Pulicaria sicula (L.) Moris was characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. The oil was particularly rich in oxygenated terpenoids. Among the oxygenated monoterpenes (content of 44.5%), the most abundant were borneol (23.7%), bornyl acetate (6.5%), and isothymol isobutyrate (6.2%). Caryophyllene oxide (10.2%), caryophylladienol I (4.3%), and caryophylla-3,8(13)-dien-5β-ol (4.4%) were identified as the main constituents among the oxygenated sesquiterpenes. Furthermore, a complete literature review on the composition of the essential oils of all the Pulicaria taxa studied so far was performed and a principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out., (Copyright © 2015 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.)

The chemical composition of eight Tunisian Rosmarinus officinalis L. populations (A-H) from different bioclimatic areas has been examined by gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry. The essential oils are characterised by high amounts of oxygenated monoterpenes (58.2-71.7%) followed by monoterpene hydrocabons (15.1-26.7%). 1,8-Cineole, camphor, α-pinene and borneol are the main representative components. The antioxidant activity was investigated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), ferric reducing ability power assay and β-carotene bleaching test. Samples showed antiradical activity by inhibiting DPPH radical with IC50 values ranging from 375.3 to 592.8 μg mL(- 1) for samples F and A, respectively. Sample A also showed the most promising activity in β-carotene bleaching test (IC50 of 31.9 μg mL(- 1)). The essential oils were also screened for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activity. Sample G showed the highest activity against AChE (IC50 of 64.7 μg mL(- 1)) while sample D (IC50 of 29.5 μg mL(- 1)) exhibited the most potent activity against BChE.

The petroleum ether extract of Magydaris tomentosa flowers (Desf.) W. D. J. Koch has been analyzed by GC-MS. It is mainly constituted by furanocoumarins such as xanthotoxin, xanthotoxol, isopimpinellin, and bergaptene. Other coumarins such as 7-methoxy-8-(2-formyl-2-methylpropyl) coumarin and osthole also occurred. The antiproliferative activity of Magydaris tomentosa flower extract has been evaluated in vitro on murine monocye/macrophages (J774A.1), human melanoma (A375) and human breast cancer (MCF-7) tumor cell lines, showing a major activity against the latter.