Search

Metabolic engineering leads to plant productivity by inducing engineered nanoparticles in the metabolites biosynthesis pathway. In the present study, β-cyclodextrin nanoparticles (β-CDNPs) were synthesized, and their physical and chemical structure was investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential. Afterward, we used β-CDNPs with 0, 10, 50, 100 mg/L concentrations for foliar application of the aerial parts of basil (Ocimum basilicum L c.v. Keshkeni luvelou). GC-MS was used to identify compounds. β-CDNPs foliar application with a concentration of 50 ppm stimulated growth and significantly improved the growth indexes. In the presence of β-CDNPS, phenylpropanoids concentration, phenol content, and flavonoids total content in the aerial parts of basil showed a significant difference (P ≤ 5%) compared to the control group. According to molecular analysis, eugenol O-methyltransferase (EOMT) and chavicol O-methyltransferase (CVOMT) genes expression in methyl eugenol and methyl chavicol biosynthesis pathways were significantly improved when treated with 50 ppm concentration compared to the control. Basil may show antioxidant activity when treated with different concentrations of β-CDNPs, in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, β-CDNPS may act as an inducer with their stimulating, maintaining the basil phenylpropanoids as a bio-elicitor with the potential of free radical scavenging to enhance the basil’s therapeutic and nutritional properties.

Essential oils (EOs) have drawn growing attention due to an increased risk of chemical contamination upon the application of synthetic fungicides to post-harvest fruits. This experiment investigated the antifungal activity of seven EOs at different concentrations of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 μL mL−1 against the fungus Botrytis cinerea in two methods of liquid and vapor phase. Besides the chemical analysis of the EOs by GC–MS, minimum fungicidal concentration, minimum inhibitory concentration, and the release of cellular material were investigated. The dominant compound in rosemary EO is camphene (33.8%), whereas 1–8 cineole (67.61%) was found to be most abundant in Eucalyptus. Cumin contained cumin aldehyde (27.14%), peppermint EO contained menthol (28.27%), and the most common compound in tarragon EO was methyl chavicol (78.74%). Limonene (63.27%) was the predominant compound in lemon EO. The highest percentage of compounds in savory EO was carvacrol (50.33). The results showed that the vapor phase was consistently more effective in fungal growth than the liquid phase effect. Savory and peppermint EOs were very influential on the growth of B. cinerea at relatively low concentrations due to the presence of dominant compounds such as menthol (28.27%) and carvacrol (50.34%). According to the comparison of the data on inhibition percentage with the control group, there was a significant enhancement in the entire liquid and vapor phases by increasing EO concentration. Generally, factors such as plant species, application method, and concentration affect EOs antifungal activity. It is concluded that the EO mechanism against B. cinerea might be due to its effect on cell membrane permeability according to the electrolytes’ leakage. Therefore, these EOs as natural antimicrobial compounds seem to be effective in preventing gray mold contamination instead of synthetic preservatives, which have several established adverse effects.

This study presented the development of such a HS–SPME–GC–MS technique, with the use of which, directly from the raw milk sample matrix, both qualitatively and quantitatively; the volatile terpenoids (α-pinene, sabinene, β-pinene, p-cymene, limonene, linalool, α-thujene, camphor, menthol, methyl chavicol, caryophyllene E, α-humulene) can be determined, derived from herbs eaten by the dairy animals by different feeding methods. Repeatability was less than 10% in the case of milk fat samples. The estimated limits of quantitation were between 2 and 16 ng/g. The lowest values were 2 ng/g for p-cymene and methyl chavicol; the highest value was 16 ng/g for caryophyllene. In the case of goat milk, the repeatability was better than 8% except for α-thujene. The estimated limits of quantitation were between 1 and 8 ng/g. The lowest values were 1 ng/g for β-pinene, p-cymene and limonene, and the highest value was 8 ng/g for linalool. In milk fat, the highest concentration was identified in caryophyllene E (470 ng/g) and α-humulene (430 ng/g), while the lowest concentration was in p-cymene (2 ng/g) and camphor (2 ng/g). In goat milk, limonene was present in all samples, but its amount varied depending on the type of consumed herb. Methyl chavicol and caryophyllene E were detected in goat’s milk only in one case. The former was detected in sage milk at 2.09 ng/g and the latter in tarragon milk at 2.28 ng/g. We have also successfully demonstrated that the feed consumed by dairy animals also affects the quality of dairy products.

Ocimum basilicum (Lamiaceae) commonly known as Sweet Basil is an aromatic plant having a controversial carcinogenic effect and is also used in the food industry. This study was designed to evaluate the chemical constituent by the chemometrics-assisted-GCMS and the antioxidant activity of the O. basilicum L. herb gathered from Sivas. Twenty-one ingredients representing 92.30% of the total oil were identified in the essential oil of O. basilicum L. The major ingredients were noted as methyl eugenol 52.97%, α-cubebene 10.82%, and spathenole 6.92%. The results were compared with other studies on the content of the O. basilicum L. plant. DPPH and β-carotene-Linoleic acid assays revealed considerable antioxidant activity of methyl eugenol-rich O. basilicum essential oil, which is lower than standard BHT, and higher than standard methyl eugenol. Multivariate curve resolution-alternative least squares (MCR-ALS) which is an iterative method was used for resolving the overlapped and embedded peaks. The results of this study show that chromatographic methods combined with MCR-ALS analysis techniques can be useful for a comprehensive, rapid, and specific analysis of complex natural products such as O. basilicum essential oils. In recent studies, the carcinogenic effects of methyl chavicol and methyl eugenol, the dominant active ingredients of O. basilicum L. were pointed.

The Ocimum basilicum essential oil (EO) was evaluated for its biological effect on M. domestica. Characterization of O. basilicum EO revealed the presence of methyl chavicol (70.93%), linalool (9.34%), epi-α-cadinol (3.69 %), methyl eugenol (2.48%), γ-cadinene (1.67%), 1,8-cineole (1.30%) and (E)-β-ocimene (1.11%). The basil EO and its constituents methyl chavicol and linalool caused the neuronal response in female adults of M. domestica. Adult female flies showed reduced preference to food source laced with basil EO and methyl chavicol. Substrate treated with EO and methyl chavicol at 0.25% caused an oviposition deterrence of over 80%. The ovicidal effect was high in O. basilicum EO (EC50 9.74mg/dm3) followed by methyl chavicol (EC50 10.67mg/dm3) and linalool (EC50 13.57mg/dm3. On contact toxicity, adults exposed to EO (LD50 10.01 μg/adult) were more susceptible than to methyl chavicol and linalool (LD50 13.62 μg/adult and LD50 43.12 μg/adult respectively). EO and its constituents methyl chavicol and linalool induced the detoxifying enzymes Carboxyl esterase (Car E) and Glutathione S – transferases (GST)

Chemical composition and bioactivities including bacterial and fungal resistance of the essential oils extracted from leaves of Piper betle L. (T) and Cleistocalyx operculatus L. (V) and aerial parts of Ageratum conyzoides L. (H) were investigated. The components presenting in the essential oils of the natural sources were analysized by a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Molecular docking simulation was utilised to support an antimicrobial mechanism of the essential oil compounds on Candida albicans fungus and Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria. This was based on the inhibition of the extracted compounds onto the microbial proteins, i.e. 4ESW and P0C0C7, respectively. There are 32 compounds identified in total in the three essential oils. The most effective inhibitors are the following: (i) chavicol acetate (T3), eugenol acetate (T11) and eugenol (T4) found in Piper betle L.; (ii) precocene II (H10) and precocene I (H6) found in Ageratum conyzoides L.; and (iii) caryophyllene oxide (V15) and cis-Lanceol (V19) found in Cleistocalyx operculatus L.. The overall antifungal and antibacterial capability of the investigated essential oils given indirect justification via their average inhabitability towards the two proteins accords with the order Piper betle L. Ageratum conyzoides L. Cleistocalyx operculatus L.. The results suggest these as promising natural sources for antimicrobial remedies.

Synthetic insecticides applied to control Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) can have negative impacts on environment and human health. Botanical essential oils can be sources of organic molecules with biocontrol potential and advantages, such as minor impacts on the selection of resistant pest insects and low toxicity to humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the biocontrol action of essential oils from Brazilian species and methyl chavicol compounds on the development and metabolism of S. frugiperda. Essential oils of Eremanthus erythropappus (Asteraceae), Ocimum selloi, Hyptis suaveolens, and Hyptis marrubioides (Lamiaceae) were distilled by the steam distillation method and analyzed by gas chromatograph techniques. The essential oils were incorporated into an artificial diet (at 1, 2, and 4 mg mL-1) and offered to S. frugiperda caterpillars. Larvae of S. frugiperda at 48 h of age were fed an artificial diet containing the major constituent of O. selloi (methyl chavicol). The major compounds of the essential oils were methyl chavicol for O. selloi, α-bisabolol for E. erythropappus, bicyclogermacrene for H. suaveolens, and β-thujone for H. marrubioides. O. selloi caused 100% mortality in S. frugiperda larvae at a concentration of 1 mg mL-1 after 48 h. H. marrubioides essential oil caused 100% mortality in larvae at a concentration of 4 mg mL-1 after 48 h. O. selloi and H. marrubioides inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity in 72.87% and 81.69% of larvae, respectively. O. selloi presented the highest toxicity to S. frugiperda and the lowest inhibition of AchE. Methyl chavicol was lethal to all larvae within 24 h at a concentration of 0.92 mg mL-1 of diet. Methyl chavicol showed the best insecticidal activity and potential to be used as a natural insecticide to control S. frugiperda.

Ocimum species are herbaceous plants with great medicinal importance. Various tissues of the plants are being used in folk remedies for a variety of purposes. The pharmacologically active natural products present in essential oils in the Ocimum species belong to two major classes of natural compounds, viz. phenylpropanoids and terpenoids. In the present study, the essential oils from the inflorescence, leaf, and stem tissues of four major Ocimum species were hydro-distilled and analyzed. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry profiling to unravel the phytomolecules and compositional quantification showed the occurrence of distinct tissue-based variability of phytomolecules. Phenylpropanoids such as eugenol and methyl chavicol were specifically found in the tissues of O. sanctum, O. gratissimum, and O. basilicum, respectively, whereas O. kilimandscharicum was distinct in possessing a terpenoid phytomolecule camphor predominantly in its tissues. The study also analyzed the uniqueness of the distribution of phytochemical constituents of essential oil in Ocimum species in tissue- and species-specific manner. Leaves were the major site of accumulation of essential oil, whereas inflorescence and stem also contained essential oil constituents albeit in low quantities.

Biological methods offer eco-friendly and cost-effective alternatives for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The present study highlights a green process where AgNPs were synthesized and optimized by using silver nitrate (AgNO3) and the aqueous extract of Piper betle (Pbet) leaf as the reducing and capping agent. The stable and optimized process for the synthesis of Pbet-AgNPs was exposure of reaction mixture into the sunlight for 40 min, pH 9.0, and 2 mM AgNO3 using 1:4 diluted Pbet leaf aqueous extract. The optimized Pbet-AgNPs were characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy, high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The prepared Pbet-AgNPs were spherical in shape with size in the range of 6–14 nm. These nanoparticles were stable for 6 months in aqueous solution at room temperature under dark conditions. The biogenic synthesized Pbet-AgNPs are found to have significant antifungal activity against plant pathogenic fungi, Alternaria brassicae and Fusarium solani. Synthesized Pbet-AgNPs potentially reduced the fungal growth in a dose-dependent manner. Microscopic observation of treated mycelium showed that Pbet-AgNPs could disrupt the mycelium cell wall and induce cellular permeability. Protein leakage assay supports these findings. Overall, this study revealed the efficacy of green synthesized AgNPs to control the plant fungal pathogens. Pbet leaves are a rich source of phenolic biomolecule(s). It was hypothesized that these biomolecule(s) mediated metal reduction reactions. In this context, the present work investigates the phytobiomolecule(s) of the aqueous extract of Pbet leaves using high-resolution liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy (HR-LCMS) method. The analysis revealed that eugenol, chavicol, and hydroxychavicol were present in the Pbet aqueous extract.

Environmental stresses might alter the activity of antioxidant defense system and both quantity and quality of the essential oil constituents in aromatic plants. In the current study, a greenhouse experiment was designed to assess the influence of cold stress on total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC), DPPH radical scavenging, antioxidant and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzymes activity and content of phenylpropanoid compounds in Ocimum basilicum L. The genes expression levels of chavicol O-methyl transferase (CVOMT), cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H), eugenol synthase 1 (EGS1) and eugenol O-methyl transferase (EOMT) were also investigated. Results revealed the highest TPC, TFC and DPPH at 4 °C for 12 h. Positive significant correlation was observed between TFC and DPPH, as well as TPC and PAL enzyme activity. The highest activity of superoxide dismutase and guaiacol peroxidase was recorded in 4 °C for 48 h, while this treatment caused the highest reduction in the activities of ascorbate peroxidase and catalase. In plants exposed to 10 °C for 48 h, the contents of methyleugenol and methylchavicol was positively associated with the expression levels of EGS1 and EOMT. A positive correlation was also found between C4H expression and eugenol, methyleugenol and methylchavicol contents under 4 °C for 12 h.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the essential oil extracted from fresh leaves of Pimenta racemosa in the improvement of fermented fish flour producing technology. Essential oil of Pimenta racemosa was extracted by hydrodistillation and its chemical composition was determined by GC and GC/MS. Different types of fermented fish flours from Lesser African Threadfin (Galeoides decadactylus) were produced by the modification of the traditional processing technology and the introduction of a step of essential oil adjunction during the process. Three different essential oil concentrations (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 μL g−1) were investigated. Physicochemical, microbiological and nutritional analyzes were performed in order to evaluate the quality of the fermented fish flour produced. Results obtained revealed that the essential oil of Pimenta racemosa investigated has a chemical composition characterized by the presence of myrcene (25.1%), chavicol (7.5%) and eugenol (51.1%). Fermented fish flour produced have a good nutritional potential. However, on the microbiological level, only samples produced by adjunction of essential oil have a low level of microbial contamination, with an absence of pathogenic microorganisms.

The chemical components of both Syrian aniseed and fennel seeds collected from Idlib and Aleppo regions were identified using GC/MS spectrometry. Thirty-four component fractions representing an average of 98.5% of anise seed extract were characterized. The major average components were (E)-Anethole, Estragole, Limonene, Fenchone, Linalool, para-Anisaldehyde, (Z)-Anethole, and methyl chavicol. Also, thirty-one component fractions representing an average of 99.46% of fennel seed extract were identified. The major components were α-Pinene, α-Phellandrene, Fenchone, Methyl chavicol, Estragole, (Z)-Anethole, Limonene, 1,8-Cineole, Anisole-p-allyl, E,E-Farnesene, Estragole, (E)-Anethole, Anisaldehyde, and Carvacrol. The extract of aniseed was characterized by higher amounts of trans-anethole (52.2%) than fennel extract (38.3%). The integral antioxidant capacity (IAC) of two different extracts from both aniseed and fennel seeds have been determined using photochemiluminescence assay (PCL). The sum of antioxidant capacity (IAC) of hydrophilic and hydrophobic components in both aniseed and fennel seeds was determined, as a total equivalent per gram of dry material (nmolTE/gDM) at 166.69 ± 0.42 and 363.28 ± 1.11 nmol for hydrophilic and hydrophobic components, respectively. Eight major phenolic compounds known as possible antioxidant sources with their concentrations have been identified in both aniseed and fennel seeds by HPLC and GC–MS analysis.

The aromatic and medicinal properties of Ocimum basilicum L. (sweet basil) are related to the unique essential oil chemistry in different cultivars. This study describes efficient micropropagation and in vitro flowering protocols from shoot tips and reveals information on seed germination capability, glandular trichomes ultrastructure, and essential oil content and composition at different plant developmental stages from micropropagated O. basilicum ‘Sweet Thai’, chemotype methyl chavicol. Shoot tips from 2-mo-old aseptic seedlings were induced to proliferate shoots on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 6-benzyl-aminopurine (BAP) and gibberellic acid (GA3) either alone or in combination with α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Maximum shoot formation was achieved in MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L−1 BAP. The micropropagated plants were successfully acclimatized ex vitro with an 80% survival rate. All of the micropropagated plants flowered in vitro on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L−1 GA3. Relative to the mother plant, in vitro plants flowered at a younger stage of plant development but showed a lack of seed formation, fewer fully filled peltate glandular trichomes, lower essential oil content, and higher methyl chavicol content. Ex vitro plants flowered at an intermediate stage of plant development and formed seed with nearly the same seed germinability, essential oil content, and methyl chavicol content as the mother plant.

Background The objective of this work is to study the influence of arbuscal mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus intraradices) and water stress on the ultrastructural change of basil glandular hair and also on the essential oil synthesis, especially on the isomerization of the two main compounds methyl chavicol and trans-anethole. Results The results of this study show that mycorrhization increases the yield of essential oils, with a maximum recorded in mycorrhizal stressed plants (0.33%) and a minimum among non-mycorrhizal unstressed plants (0.22%). Oxygenated monoterpenes represent the main family of essential oils. Furthermore, the chemical composition of these essential oils changed under the condition in which the plant is. However, the main compound methyl chavicol was found to be at maximum concentration (93%) in mycorrhizal stressed plants and minimum in non-mycorrhizal stressed plants (84%). Contrariwise, its isomer trans-anethole reached the maximum (8%) among non-mycorrhizal non-stressed plants and minimum (2%) in non-mycorrhizal stressed plants. Conclusion Ocimum gratissimum L. leaves showed the presence of two types of peltate glands: the first one with 4 secreting cells and the second with 8 secreting cells. The diameter of these glands changed with the hydric state of plants; in the absence of mycorrhization, stress causes a decrease in the extracellular cavity diameter of glandular trichomes and their deflation which would cause a concentration of essential oil in the glands. Graphical abstract Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and water stress on essential oil yield and compositions by the change in some endogenous plant growth regulators and glandular hairs morphology and density in Ocimum gratissimum

Essential oils of Ocimum ciliatum were extracted by hydrodistillation at different phenological stages, in order to determine possible differences and similarities of the oil yield and chemical composition of them. Essential oil yields were 1.80, 1.30, 1.20, 1.13, 1.03 and 0.80 (w/w %) at budding, vegetative, initial flowering, full bloom, immature and ripen fruit, respectively. The essential oils were analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. In total, 26, 26, 27, 22, 27 and 20 components were identified, which were representing 95–99 % of total oils. All oil samples from the aerial parts of the plant at different growth stages were mostly made up of aromatic compounds group (86.18–93.89 %). The major constituents of the essential oils were methyl chavicol (81.52–91.41 %), methyl eugenol (0.97–4.18 %) and 1,8-cineole (1.30–2.43 %). The findings indicated that the oil yield and chemical compositions of the essential oil of O. ciliatum depend on different stages of growth.

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L., Lamiaceae), an important medicinal plant and culinary herb due to its delicate aroma and fragrance, shows great variation in both morphology and essential oil components. Genetic variation among basil accessions in Turkey has not been extensively examined with molecular markers. Genetic diversity was determined using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers of 14 genotypes of basil. A total of 375 bands were obtained from the RAPD analysis, and 273 of them (70.3 %) were polymorphic. The RAPD analysis allowed the grouping of samples into two main clusters. Genetic similarity values among the basil genotypes ranged between 0.46 and 0.87. Considerable genetic diversity was determined among basil genotypes. Essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation and were characterized by gas chromatography. A total of 17 chemical components were identified. The evaluated genotypes of O. basilicum can be classified into seven chemotypes: (1) Linalool (7, 12, 16, 22, 25A and 33), (2) Methyl chavicol (6, 10A), (3) Citral/methyl chavicol (10L, 17), (4) Methyl eugenol (11), (5) Methyl cinnamate/linalool (23), (6) Linalool/methyl eugenol (25K), and (7) Methyl chavicol/linalool (Let). The chemical variability obtained from the essential oil composition of the genotypes in the study was remarkable. The chemical characterization of genotypes 10L and 17 was rich in citral (42.17 and 44.80 %) and methyl chavicol (30.56 and 32.03 %). Citral/methyl chavicol can be assessed as a new chemotype of basil cultivated in Turkey. The basil genotypes were grouped into two major clusters for both the RAPD analysis and chemical characterization with very few exceptions (genotype n. 6). A correlation analysis of the genetic distance matrix and the Euclidian distance matrix showed relatively low values (r = -0.40). The results demonstrated a certain degree of correspondence between chemical and molecular data.

The current investigation was conducted to elucidate the potential modulatory functions of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic scavenging elements of three Iranian basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) cultivars in response to different water-deficit stress treatments [i.e., control (W1: 100 % FC), mild (W2: 75 % FC), moderate (W3: 50 % FC), and severe (W4: 25 % FC)]. In general, the growth parameters, viz., plant height, number of lateral branches, number of flowers in the inflorescence per plant, and dry and fresh weights of leaves and inflorescence followed by yield were considerably affected by water-deficit stress levels (p ≤ 0.05), though some fluctuations were observed among three cultivars. Under severe water-deficit stress (W4), total chlorophyll content overall increased, while a pronounced reduction in the carotenoid content was observed by boosting of water-deficit stress intensities. Apart from some quantitative variations, ROS-scavenging enzymes, such as SOD, CAT, APX, GPX, and PPO, exhibited different behaviors versus different levels of water-deficit stress in the basil cultivars, concluding that their modulation could be a cultivar-dependent mechanism and stress-dependent mechanism. Among different metabolites detected in the essential oil of basil cultivars, both methyl chavicol and squalene were superior in the cultivars 2 and 3, while in cultivar 1, linalool and squalene were the predominant constituents, under water deprivation conditions. Taking all the features studied here into consideration, presumably, cultivar 1 is qualified enough to nominate as the most tolerant basil cultivar, could be accordingly utilized as a promising source/material for breeding programs of basil under drought stress, and possibly other abiotic stresses.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill) is a high-value medicinal and essential oil bearing plant used extensively in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries. A pot experiment was carried out in the natural conditions of net house to resolve whether the foliar application of salicylic acid (SA) might enhance the growth, yield and essential oil production of fennel. Plants were sprayed three times with SA. The first spray was carried out at 40 days after sowing (DAS); the second and third sprays were applied one and 2 weeks later, the plants were sprayed with deionised water (control) and different concentrations of SA (10−5, 10−4 and 10−3 M). The foliar spray of SA at 10−4 M significantly enhanced the vegetative growth (shoot and root lengths, fresh and dry weights), physiological and biochemical characteristics (chl ‘a’, chl ‘b’, total chlorophyll and carotenoids contents, nitrate reductase activity, carbonic anhydrase activity, leaf-N, -P and -K contents), yield characteristics (number of umbels and fruits, 1,000-seed weight and seed yield) and essential oil yield of fennel. GLC analysis revealed the significant increase in the components of essential oil, viz. trans-anethole (80.4–84.7 %), methyl chavicol (2.3–2.5 %) and fenchone (5.6–7.9 %). It was concluded that foliar spray of SA at 10−4 M might be employed for enhancing the plant growth as well as yield and quality of essential oil of fennel.

The chemical composition of the essential oil ob- tained by steam distillation from the wood of P. heldreichii, collected from north Greece area was determined by GC and GC/MS for the first time. Forty constituents (corresponding to 96.3% of the total weight) were identified. The main com- ponents were: limonene, cembrene, longifolene, α-pinene, methyl chavicol, kaurene and cembrene A. The antimicro- bial activity of the oil was evaluated against six Gram posi- tive and Gram negative bacteria and three human pathogenic fungi, using the agar dilution technique. Strong activities against most of the tested microorganisms were exhibited. Moreover, the oil showed a very promising antioxidant ac- tivity through Rancimat method. mit GC und GC/MS analysiert. Vierzig verschiedene In- haltsstoffe (entsprechend bis 96.3 % des Gesamtgewichts) konnten identifiziert werden. Die Hauptinhaltsstoffe waren: Limonen, Cembren, Longifolen, α-Pinen, Methylchavicol, Kauren und Cembren A. Die antimikrobielle Aktivitat des atherischen Ols wurde an sechs Gram positiven und negati- ven Bakterien sowie drei pathogenen Pilzen mit der Agar- diffusionsmethode bestimmt. Das atherische Ol zeigte eine deutliche antimikrobielle Aktivitat gegen die meisten ge- pruften Mikroorganismen. Die antioxidative Wirkung des atherischen Ols, die mit der Rancimat Methode getestet wur- de, war vielversprechend.

The effects of increasing levels of metals (10 and 20 mg of Cr kg-1 and 25 and 50 mg of Cd, Pb, and Ni kg-1 soil) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi Glomus intraradices on the yield, chemical composition of volatile oil, and metal accumulation in sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) were investigated in a pot experiment. The shoot yield, content of essential oil, and root yield of sweet basil were increased by the application of low dose of Cd, Pb, and Ni as compared to control. The application of high level of metals had deleterious effect on the yield. In soil with low dose of metal applied, AM fungi inoculation significantly enhanced the metal concentration in shoots and had adverse effect on the yield, whereas in soil with high dose of metal applied, AM fungal inoculation reduced the metal concentration in shoot and had beneficial effect on the yield. The content of linalool in basil oil was decreased and that of methyl chavicol was increased by the application of Cr, Cd, and Pb in soil as compared to control. Similarly, the level of linalool and methyl chavicol was decreased and that of methyl eugenol was increased by the application of Ni as compared to control. However, AM fungal inoculation led to maintain the content of linalool, methyl chavicol, and methyl eugenol in volatile oil, which were either increased or decreased by the application of metals. We conclude that the AM–sweet basil symbiosis could be used as a novel approach to enhance the yield and maintain the quality of volatile oil of sweet basil under metal-contaminated soils.

In the present research, the effects of static magnetic field, with or without iron on the growth, the activity of certain enzymes (like polyphenol oxidase and phenyle alanine ammonialyase), the content of phenolic compounds and the essential oil composition of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) were studied. Treatment of plants with static magnetic field with or without iron led to decrease of the growth of plants as well as decrease in the activity of phenyle alanine ammonialyase and of phenolic compounds content. In addition in those plants exposed to magnetic field the amount of essential oils, notably of methyl chavicol, was increased. Exposure of plants to the magnetic field decreased the activity of polyphenol oxidase, whereas treatment of plants with iron when exposed to magnetic field increased polyphenol oxidase activity. In this group the content of essential oil was reduced.

Basil (O. gratissimum L) is a aromatic and medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine in Morocco. The aim of this work was to study the effect of three plant growth regulators gibberellic acid (GA), indole 3-acetic acid (IAA) and benzylaminopurine (BAP) on the content and composition of essential oils of this plant, especially on the main compound (methyl chavicol) and its isomer (the trans-anethole). The results showed a wide variation on yield, content and range of the molecule constituent of oil, with a balance of appearances and/or disappearances of a few molecules. GA caused a slight decrease in the oil yield (0.2%), but it increased the diversity of compounds (17 molecules) with the appearance of four new compounds (naphthalene, camphor, germacrene-D, and ledene) and disappearance of (β cedrene, azulene). This variation also caused a very important decrease in the main compound (methyl chavicol) and increases its isomer (trans-anethole). IAA and BAP caused an increase in the yield of essential oil (0.30% and 0.32% respectively) without much influence on the main compounds, but with some change in the composition such as the appearance of (germacrene-D) and the disappearance of (aristolene).

The essential oils of Foeniculum vulgare subsp. piperitum were subjected to detailed GC-MS analysis in order to determine possible similarities and differences in their chemical compositions, depending on growth years (2001 and 2002). In both oils, methyl chavicol (40.29 and 21.69%), limonene (17.66 and 22.24%), fenchone (16.90 and 12.98%), α-pinene (1.86 and 34%) and α-phellandrene (2.30 and 2.74%) were the main components, respectively. A total of 32 components were identified accounting for 85.01 and 67.14% of the oils of F. vulgare, respectively. The main characteristic of the oils is the high content of the limonene, fenchone and estragol. Our findings indicated that the oil of Turkish bitter fennel belonged to methyl chavicol rich type.