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Spices enhance the palatability of the food. Plant-derived natural spices are preferred over artificial ones by both commercial and consumer sectors. Despite its wide use in traditional cuisine and medicament, Alpinia nigra lacks a well-deserved platform in the global spice market. The current study aimed a comparative investigation between rhizomes of A. nigra (AR) and ginger (GR) through physicochemical characteristics, sensory attributes, oleochemical profiling and in silico α-amylase inhibitory activity. AR exhibited lesser moisture content (87.81 ± 0.35%), water activity (0.56 ± 0.01 aw), rehydration capacity (3.00 ± 0.19) and comparable organoleptic attributes against ginger. Both the rhizome powders showed a color difference value of 12.02 ± 0.04 due to the significant differences in the color parameters (L*, a*, b*). The FTIR spectra displayed corresponding banding patterns for O–H, C–H and C=C bond stretching at 3200–3400 cm−1, 2921–2924 cm−1 and 1634 cm−1, respectively. The SEM micrographs showed a similar fibrous structure of varying sizes, 40–100 µm. Hydro-distillation of AR yielded 0.02% of essential oil which showed the presence of Bornyl acetate (24.29%), Borneol (17.6%) and β-Caryophyllene (12.59%) as the major oleochemicals when subjected to GC–MS. The descriptive sensory analysis of AR essential oil identified camphoraceous as the key aroma attributes with spicy, pine and woody notes. Molecular docking revealed the potential of β-Guaiene (binding energy − 7.5 kcal/mol) to develop a possible dietary supplement against diabetes. The study is an initial attempt to unravel the fundamental potential of A. nigra as an alternative spice and dietary supplement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patchouli is a prized tropical medicinal herb with broad-spectrum therapeutic importance. The present research work describes development of an efficient callus-mediated plant regeneration protocol along with associated germplasm portability system (via alginate-encapsulation). Using 1.5 mg/l α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 1.0 mg/l 2, 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2, 4-D), highly proliferative friable calli were produced that subsequently underwent organogenesis in combinatorial cytokinin treatment to yield multiple shoot clusters. The highest frequency of shoot formation was achieved using 1.5 mg/l NAA with 1.5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. In vitro-derived shoot tips were encapsulated with 3% sodium alginate and 100 mM CaCl2 solution. The encapsulated beads were germinated in MS media with various concentrations of polyamines, where the highest regeneration frequency was observed with 1.5 mg/l spermidine. The regenerated shoots were rooted in basal MS medium and were successfully acclimatized with 96% survival rate. Genetic homogeneity amongst the regenerated plantlets was validated using Start Codon Targeted polymorphism (SCoT) and CAAT box-derived polymorphism (CBDP) ascertaining a high degree of clonal fidelity. The essential oil (EO) profiling of the donor plant and the in vitro-derived plantlets revealed identical composition. Furthermore, the antibacterial activities of various tissue extracts and extracted EOs were evaluated against the opportunistic pathogens viz. Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 109), Salmonella typhii (MTCC 733), Micrococcus luteus (MTCC 2470) and Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 96). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranged from 0.31 to 5.0 mg/ml and 2.5 to 5.0 mg/ml against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. Eventually, the present research provides a holistic insight into the rapid regeneration of quality planting material as well as pharmacological bioprospection of patchouli along with the scope of further qualitative improvement via genetic transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betel leaf or 'Paan' (Piper betle) is an integral component of the addictive chewing stimulant 'betel quid' which is traditionally consumed by a large population in the Asian countries. Betel essential oil is also heavily used by the flavour industries. Often, it constitutes of carcinogenic and genotoxic phenylpropanoids. High incidence of the oral carcinogenesis in this part of the world has been linked to the chewing of betel quid as well as Paan. In this study, Piper betleoides C. DC. (wild Paan) was identified as the edible plant source from north‐east India possessing betel‐scented essential oil which was highly rich in sesquiterpenoids majorly germacrene D and β‐caryophyllene. Identity of the plant was confirmed through critical taxonomic studies. Further, the essential oil yield and composition were investigated across different vegetative (young and mature leaves, stem) and reproductive (male and female inflorescence) tissues of P. betleoides through gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (1H, 13C NMR) spectroscopic analyses. The comparative quantitative investigation showed a high dominance by sesquiterpenoids (>90%) in the leaves of P. betleoides with no detection of phenylpropanoids. On the contrary, a high level of phenylpropanoids (>75%) was found in P. betle (Bangla Paan). In effect, P. betleoides can be a potential alternative source of betel‐scented sesquiterpene‐rich essential oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Essential oil found in folk medicinal plant Knema angustifolia for the first time containing oxygenated sesquiterpenes. • Site specific molecular docking of τ-Cadinol and δ-Cadinol showed high tau binding affinity (-6.2 Kcal/mol) like FDA approved drug. • Phylogenetic frame work was reconstructed with K. angustifolia and allied species using plastid genes viz., psbA-trnH, rbcL and matK. • Traced diagnostic species traits onto tree topology reflected presence of essential oil as shared ancestral trait. • Maxent modelling predicted suitable habitat for long-term conservation in NE India and Western Himalayas. The folk medicinal plant Knema angustifolia (Roxb.) Warb. of Myristicaceae is reported with the essential oil (0.02±0.001 - 0.04±0.01%) in leaves and twigs respectively, for the first time. The GC-MS analysis of essential oil found 15 oxygenated sesquiterpenes viz., Globulol (30.83-35.46%), Spathulenol (21.46-23.98%), Viridiflorol (6.24-12.40%) and others. Several species under the family Myristicaceae had been used in neurodegenerative diseases. The site-specific docking of the markers against tau protein, the major causal factor for neurodegenerative diseases were carried out which found biomarkers viz., α-Cadinol, δ-Cadinol, epi -Cubenol, Neointermedeol, Shyobunol, and τ-Cadinol with moderate to high binding affinity (-5.1 to -6.2 Kcal/mol). The markers followed ADMET parameters including Human Intestinal Absorption, Blood Brain Barrier, CNS permeability, and Lipinski rule of five, and were found as moderately bioactive. τ-Cadinol and δ-Cadinol showed high binding affinity (-6.2 Kcal/mol) like Galantamine, an FDA-approved drug. Moreover, τ-Cadinol and δ-Cadinol showed moderate activity as nuclear receptors, enzyme inhibitors, and ion channel modulators and exhibited potential as a base structure to develop candidate oral drugs. The potential of trait-linked occurrence of essential oil among K. angustifolia and allied species were assessed through ancestral reconstruction using Mesquite ver. 3.61 upon Bayesian consensus tree of plastid genes viz., psbA-trnH, rbcL, and matK. The essential oil was found as a shared ancestral trait in K. angustifolia. For the long-term conservation of K. angustifolia, the MaxEnt modeling was carried out which predicted climate-suitable habitat in NE India and Western Himalayas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential and fixed oils cover a vast arena of industrial usage, including flavour-fragrances, cosmetics, health-body care, biofuel and bioenergy. The species of Myristicaceae were traditionally used to prepare soaps and candles. The research focused on extracting and characterising the essential and fixed oils of Myristicaceae from Assam and adjoining region. The study found essential oil for the first time from vegetative parts of Horsfieldia kingii and H. amygdalina from NE India. GC-MS analysis exhibited nearly 47 compounds among Horsfieldia kingii, H. amygdalina and Knema angustifolia , having compositional similarity among the latter two. About 11 common and significant compounds identified were copaene (1.34–22.22%), β-caryophyllene (0.34–4.36%), caryophyllene oxide (0.82–50.43%), humulene epoxide II (1.21–5.67%), δ-cadinol (1.10–7.92%), epi-γ-eudesmol (3.03–10.83%), globulol (0.82–42.28%), viridiflorol (2.34–39.14%), β-elemene (0.47–18.62%), shyobunol (1.37–7.5%) and t-cadinol (1.29–4.46%). The volatiles with high area coverage were juniper camphor (70.85%), caryophyllene oxide (50.43%), globulol (42.28%), viridiflorol (39.14%), α-pinene (36.56%), and β-selinene (20.53%). The physicochemical parameters of fixed oils of kernel and mace of H. amygdalina , H. kingii , K. angustifolia, K. linifolia and K. tenuinervia for the first time showed the yield 6.10–44.35% with compositional abundance of myristic acid, methyl ester (20.87–86.1%), lauric acid, methyl ester (35.81–40.02%), oleic acid, methyl ester (30.2–47.45%), palmitic acid, methyl ester (19.16–37.9%), mostly the saturated fatty acids. Both essential and fixed oils of wild nutmegs depicted the commercial potential of wild biowaste for novel renewable source of biomarkers. [Display omitted] • Novel source of essential oil from vegetative parts of Horsfieldia kingii and H. amygdalina from NE India. • Major markers belong to oxygenated sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes. • Significant markers caryophyllene oxide (50.43%), globulol (42.28%), viridiflorol (39.14%) and juniper camphor (70.85%). • Kernel and mace fixed oil yield 6.10–44.35%. • The abundance of myristic, lauric, oleic and palmitic acids with saturated fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpinia zerumbet or shell ginger, an essential oil-bearing rhizomatous native herb of Southeast Asia belongs to the family Zingiberaceae. The rhizome has high culinary value and is profusely used as a spice, food additive, in cosmetics and others. The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of six postharvest drying treatments (shade, sun, freeze, microwave, and oven drying at a temperature of 40 °C and 60 °C) on physicochemical properties, volatile yield and compositions, and sensory attributes of shell ginger. In contrast to other drying methods, freeze drying showed better water activity, rehydration capacity and retained the usual color and micro-structure of sliced rhizomes. FTIR analysis of dried rhizome powders revealed the corresponding banding for C-O-C stretching, C C stretching, CH 2 asymmetric stretching and free phenolic OH stretching respectively. The maximum yield of essential oil was obtained in freeze drying (0.028%), followed by fresh rhizomes (0.02%), and the minimum yield was recorded in microwave drying (0.003%). The GC-MS analysis of rhizome oil reported 4-terpineol (31.89–46.85%), eucalyptol (14.28–23.74%), γ- terpinene (2.19–6.67%), fenchyl acetate (5.01–11.21%), o -cymene (2.99–14.92%), and β- pinene (2.18–5.05%) as the principal volatile constituents which were significantly affected by the six drying methods. Spicy and camphoraceous aroma were dominant in fresh and dried rhizome essential oil accessions with traces of pine and lemon odor. The fresh rhizome oil negatively affected the germination rate and inhibited the shoot and root length of wheatgrass seeds with IC 50 values of 882.55, 87.79 and 72.2 µg/mL respectively showing its mild phytotoxic potential. These findings demonstrated the freeze drying as the most efficient postharvest technique to preserve the natural qualities of shell ginger and laid down a basic experimental framework for further value addition and industrial feasibility. [Display omitted] • Freeze drying of shell ginger was found as most promising postharvest technique. • Drying significantly altered oil yield, composition and physicochemical properties. • 4-terpineol was identified as the major essential oil component. • Spicy and camphoraceous aroma was detected as key aroma attribute in rhizome oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]