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Trend in the reduction on use of synthetic pesticides is continuously growing. Their substitution with natural substances is well studied because of the environmental vantages. Consumers require safe foods. Their risk perception concerns the presence of synthetic pesticides and marketing is oriented toward food with lower and lower residue levels. Essential oils (EOs) could be a reliable alternative. Their components are in a variable range of concentrations determining, in some cases, for the chemotypes. Lots of rosemary, oregano, and clove oil were purchased on the market and their main components were analyzed. Four EOs formulations were prepared to test their effectiveness against zucchini powdery mildew. Moreover, rosemary leaves were collected from the CREA-DC garden (Rome) and rosemary essential oil, distilled in-house, in combination with oregano essential oil were also tested. Metrafenone and penconazole were synthetic fungicides used for reference treatments. Two trials were carried out in a greenhouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is devoted to evaluate in vitro the chemical composition and the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of essential oils (Eo) extracted by hydrodistillation (HD) and microwave (MW) from the plant peels of Citrus sinensis. The extraction provided yields of 0.26% and 0.02%, respectively. The essential oils were analyzed by GC–MS whose major component is limonene that has a remarkable percentage (78.192% and 58.6%, respectively) for the essential oil extracted by HD and MW. The results of the antioxidant potential were noticeable in each of the essential oils with a higher priority to that extracted by hydrodistillation. The evaluation of the antioxidant power by the free radical scavenging method (DPPH) showed that the essential oils studied have good antioxidant activity, especially for the oil extracted by HD having presented an IC50 of (13.07 ± 0.169) mg/ml, while BHT and ascorbic acid showed very potent and effective anti-free radical activity with IC50 of the order of (19.54 ± 0.32) µg/ml and (1.17 ± 0.05) µg/ml respectively. According to the β-carotene/linoleic acid test, the oxidation of β-carotene was effectively inhibited by the two essential oils of Citrus sinensis peels with a percentage of inhibition of (56.46 ± 0.76) % and (31.39 ± 1.49) % respectively for HD and MW. Eo extracted by HD is more active than ascorbic acid (15.43%). In the antibacterial test, the activity was evaluated by the disc-diffusion method, the two types of sweet orange essential oils inhibited the growth of five bacterial strains out of six: The best activity was obtained against E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Agrobacterium with a diameter of the zone of inhibition between 70 and 84 mm, with the exception of the strain of Bacillus subtilis, there is no zone of inhibition has been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oil (EO) of Artemisia plants contains a large number of bioactive compounds that are widely used. The aim of this study was to analyse the chemical composition of EOs of six Artemisia plants collected in Croatia and to test their cholinesterase inhibitory potential. GC–MS analysis of the EO of A. absinthium showed that the dominant compounds are cis-sabinyl acetate and cis-epoxy-ocimene; in EO of A. abrotanum, it is borneol; in the EO of A. annua, they are artemisia ketone, camphor and 1,8-cineole; in the EO of A. arborescens, they are camphor and chamazulene; in the EO of A. verlotiorum, they are cis-thujone, 1,8-cineole and trans-thujone; and in the EO of A. vulgaris, they are trans-thujone and trans-epoxy-ocimene. The EO of the five studied Artemisia species from Croatia is rich in monoterpenoid compounds (1,8-cineole, artemisia ketone, cis-thujone, trans-thujone, cis-epoxy-ocimene, camphor, borneol and cis-sabinyl acetate). The EO of A. arborescens is also rich in chamazulene. The results also showed that the tested EOs have moderate cholinesterase inhibition potential, especially the EOs of A. annua, A. vulgaris and A. abrotanum. This is the first analysis of the chemical composition of the EOs of four Artemisia plants and the first analysis of cholinesterase potential for plants collected in Croatia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cymbopogon flexuosus is a highly valued botanical species with significant applications in the food and food supplement industries, medicine, and cosmetics. The effects of four extraction techniques, supercritical CO2, microwave–ultrasonic, steam distillation, and hydrodistillation techniques, on the yield, phytochemical constituents, and antifungal activity against nine fungal species of Cymbopogon flexuosus aromatic oil (AO) were explored in this investigation. Gas chromatography connected with a mass spectrometry apparatus was employed for the qualitative and quantitative analyses of the investigated plant AOs. In addition, using the broth microdilution method, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were calculated for several fungi species. The supercritical CO2 method gave the highest yield of AO (11.62 ± 0.03 (w/w)) followed by the microwave–ultrasonic method (1.55 ± 0.05% (w/w)) and the steam distillation method (1.24 ± 0.04% (w/w)), while the hydrodistillation methods gave the lowest yield (1.17 ± 0.01 (w/w)). In addition, eighteen molecules were specified in the AOs obtained with the supercritical CO2, microwave–ultrasonic, steam distillation, and hydrodistillation techniques, which constituted 99.36, 98.6, 98.21, and 98.31% (v/v) of the total oils, respectively. Additionally, linalyl acetate was the trending molecule in the microwave–ultrasonic and steam distillation methods, representing 24.61 and 24.34% (v/v), respectively, while geranial was the dominant molecule in the AOs extracted with the hydrodistillation and supercritical CO2 extraction techniques (27.01 and 25.6% (v/v), respectively). The antifungal screening results revealed that the tested C. flexuosus AOs have potential antifungal effects against all the screened fungi species. The antifungal effect of the AOs extracted with the steam distillation and microwave–ultrasonic methods was remarkable compared with that of the commercial antifungal drug Fluconazole. However, the AOs extracted with these two methods have a more potent antifungal effect against Candida parapsilosis than that of Fluconazole with MICs of 3.13 ± 0.01, 3.13 ± 0.01, and 6.25 ± 0.91 µg/mL, respectively. The same effects were also observed against Trichophyton rubrum with MICs of 6.25 ± 0.91 µg/mL, respectively. The results of this investigation demonstrated that the steam distillation and microwave–ultrasonic methods are promising processes for the extraction of C. flexuosus AO with a potent antifungal effect. This may be an advantage for the utilization of C. flexuosus AO over some antifungal synthetic agents commonly utilized as medicines, preservatives, food additives, cosmetics, and nutrient supplements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread worldwide Peucedanum plants (Apiaceae) have been used for centuries as plant medicines. The polymorphism of this genus is consistent with chemotaxonomically and therapeutically significant differences in the composition of secondary metabolites. GC-MS of Peucedanum tauricum M.B. volatiles from the headspace (HS) and hydrodistilled essential oil (HD), both obtained simultaneously from flowers (FL), immature and ripe fruits (IF, MF) and leaves (L1-L3) collected at the time of harvesting of generative organs, show differences in the chemical profiles of HS and HD from the same parts of the plant, and between organs (FL, IF, MF vs. L1-L3). The presented studies on the variability of biometabolites in the phenological period indicated the optimal harvesting time, focused on two molecular chemotaxonomic markers of PT; guaia-1(10),11-diene and guaia-9,11-diene (in generative organs iHD at 25.5–32.1% and 26.8–33.6%; and in their HS at 29.4–41.3% and 25.0–29.4%, respectively). This is the first report on the analysis of fresh aerial parts of Peucedanum sp. in which GC-MS of HS and HD was performed simultaneously during the vegetation period. The importance, with possible limitations, of GC-MS analysis of HS and HD as an evaluation tool useful in the chemotaxonomy of Peucedanum plants was also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to extract the essential oil (EO) and a volatile fraction (VF) from Anvillea garcinii subsp. radiata obtained by hydrodistillation (HD) and Head-Space Solid-Phase Micro Extraction (HS-SPME) methods, respectively as well as to examine the antioxidant activity of isolated EO. Gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) allowed the identification of 35 and 26 volatile components, representing respectively 90.7% and 91.6% of the total compositions of EO and VF. Quantitative and qualitative differences in two chemoprofiles were observed. Cis 8-acetoxychrysantenyl acetate (30.8%), cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (15.5%) and 6-oxocyclonerolidol (14.9%) were the major constituents of the EO, whereas 6-oxocyclonerolidol (53.9%) and 6-hydroxycyclonerolidol (18.1%) were the main components of HS-SPME extract. The antioxidative activity of the isolated EO was determined by using two different methods: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) radical activity assay and the β-carotene bleaching (BCB) test. The results showed that EO expresses satisfactory antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 270.53 and 181.92 μg/ml using DPPH and BCB assays, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the VF obtained by HS-SPME-GC-MS method and the antioxidant activity of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oils of three medicinally important Curcuma species (Curcuma alismatifolia, Curcuma aromatica and Curcuma xanthorrhiza) were extracted using conventional hydro-distillation (HD) and solvent free microwave extraction (SFME) methods. The volatile compounds from the rhizome essential oils were subsequently analysed by GC–MS. The isolation of essential oils of each species was carried out following the six principles of green extraction and comparison was made between their chemical composition, antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase and anticancer activities. SFME was found to be more efficient than HD in terms of energy savings, extraction time, oil yield, water consumption and waste production. Though the major compounds of essential oils of both the species were qualitatively similar, there was a significant difference in terms of quantity. The essential oils extracted through HD and SFME methods were dominated by hydrocarbon and oxygenated compounds, respectively. The essential oils of all Curcuma species exhibited strong antioxidant activity, where SFME was significantly better than HD with lower IC50 values. The anti-tyrosinase and anticancer properties of SFME-extracted oils were relatively better than that of HD. Further, among the three Curcuma species, C. alismatifolia essential oil showed the highest rates of inhibition in DPPH and ABTS assay, significantly reduced the tyrosinase activity and exhibited significant selective cytotoxicity against MCF7 and PC3 cells. The current results suggested that the SFME method, being advanced, green and fast, could be a better alternative for production of essential oils with better antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase and anticancer activities for application in food, health and cosmetic industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of growth regulators in in vitro plant cultures is a common practice in agriculture, and has been known to improve plant development and affect chemical composition in plants that produce essential oils. In this study, the researchers investigated the effect of kinetin, a growth regulator, on the chemical composition of Acmella oleracea essential oil produced in vitro. The experiment consisted of four treatments with varying concentrations of kinetin added to the culture medium: T1 (control), T2 (0.1 mg L−1), T3 (0.3 mg L−1), and T4 (0.5 mg L−1). After 90 days of growth in a controlled environment, the leaves were harvested and hydrodistilled to obtain the essential oil. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used for chemical characterization of the essential oil. The results showed that the concentrations of the major compounds in A. oleracea essential oil were influenced by the addition of kinetin to the culture medium. Specifically, the concentrations of 2-tridecanone and trans-farnesene increased with increasing levels of kinetin, while the concentrations of Germacrene D and 8-cedren-13-ol decreased with increasing levels of kinetin. These findings suggest that the addition of kinetin can influence the chemical composition of A. oleracea essential oil produced in vitro. Further studies are underway to evaluate the effect of other compounds on the chemical composition of A. oleracea essential oil. Key message: Kinetin addition to in vitro cultures of Acmella oleracea influences the chemical composition of its essential oil, increasing 2-tridecanone and trans-farnesene, while decreasing Germacrene D and 8-cedren-13-ol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The great genetic and phenotypic diversities characterize the mandarin species (Citrus reticulata). The present study aimed to evaluate a part of this diversity with molecular markers and through the composition of leaf (LEO) and fruit peel (PEO) essential oils. Seventy-two cultivars were chosen for this study to represent some wild and cultivated mandarins growing in the same orchards. The essential oils were analyzed via gas chromatography (retention indices) and via gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The low similarity of 'Tachibana' and 'Korail tachibana' with mandarins and other species suggested that they were pure mandarins but were not involved in the genesis of the cultivated forms. This distinction was also evident at the aromatic level with specific compounds or unusual proportions, such as δ-3-carene in PEO or β-phellandrene at 24.9% in 'Korail tachibana' LEO. 'Kunembo' and 'Ben di gang ju' were genetically and chemically identical, with a high proportion of myrcene (>20%) in their LEO. In general, the genetic diversity of SSR markers was higher than the chemical diversity. From the 72 accessions, 54 genotypes were identified, with only 8 aromatic profiles in PEO and 9 in LEO. This diversity of essential oils of mandarins offers new perspectives for the research and validation of new aromatic properties for food and cosmetic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study attempted to evaluate the suitable conditions for essential oil extraction from the fruit of Triphasia trifolia using hydrodistillation technique. The effect of various factors such as material size, solvent to solid ratio, heating temperature and distillation time, state of maturation, and fruit preservation on the oil yield was investigated. The physicochemical property, chemical composition, and biological properties were accessed. The highest yield of essential oil (7.9 mL/kg dry matter) from T. trifolia was obtained at optimal conditions such as fine particle size, solid to solvent ratio of 1:5, temperature oil bath of 140 °C, and distillation time of 3 h. The state of maturation of the fruits significantly affects the essential oil yield and insignificantly influences chemical composition based on the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. It was found that the essential oil yield decreases significantly when ripened fruits are not kept in cool conditions before distillation. It implied that ripened fruits should be immediately processed or kept in cool storage to maintain the essential oil yield. Our findings will help produce high-quality essential oil from T. trifolia at a pilot or industrial scale.

The essential oil (EO) of Artemisia plants contains a large number of bioactive compounds that are widely used. The aim of this study was to analyse the chemical composition of EOs of six Artemisia plants collected in Croatia and to test their cholinesterase inhibitory potential. GC–MS analysis of the EO of A. absinthium showed that the dominant compounds are cis-sabinyl acetate and cis-epoxy-ocimene; in EO of A. abrotanum, it is borneol; in the EO of A. annua, they are artemisia ketone, camphor and 1,8-cineole; in the EO of A. arborescens, they are camphor and chamazulene; in the EO of A. verlotiorum, they are cis-thujone, 1,8-cineole and trans-thujone; and in the EO of A. vulgaris, they are trans-thujone and trans-epoxy-ocimene. The EO of the five studied Artemisia species from Croatia is rich in monoterpenoid compounds (1,8-cineole, artemisia ketone, cis-thujone, trans-thujone, cis-epoxy-ocimene, camphor, borneol and cis-sabinyl acetate). The EO of A. arborescens is also rich in chamazulene. The results also showed that the tested EOs have moderate cholinesterase inhibition potential, especially the EOs of A. annua, A. vulgaris and A. abrotanum. This is the first analysis of the chemical composition of the EOs of four Artemisia plants and the first analysis of cholinesterase potential for plants collected in Croatia.

In this study, a new method for biomass thermal treatment was introduced. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Ficus hispida biomass were obtained via hydrodistillation. The qualitative analysis of VOCs performed by GC–MS and GC–FID techniques identified pentadecanal (14.65%), 2-(E)-hexenal (11.15%), and 2-butyl-5-methyl-2-hexenoic acid ethyl ester (8.53%) as the major compounds. The chemical components varied significantly from the previous study. The results of the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP methods gave IC50 and antioxidant capacity values of 3.08 ± 0.024 mg/mL, 0.44 ± 0.009 mg/mL, and 135.64 ± 25.49 mM/g, respectively. From the results, the VOCs distilled from F. hispida leaves have an antioxidant property that can be utilized as a natural botanical supplement as an antioxidant and preservative. In addition, the present research offers additional scientific support and a chemical basis for future natural drug discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The essential oils from rhizomes, pseudostems, and leaves of Etlingera flexuosa, an endemic ginger species of Sulawesi, were studied. Methods: The essential oils were extracted using solvent extraction and hydrodistillation methods and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: The percentage yield of volatile compounds obtained from solvent extraction method was higher than hydrodistillation. By solvent extraction, sesquiterpenes were found abundantly in rhizomes, pseudostems, and leaves with the percentage of 34.16%, 35.20% and 32.70%, respectively. The rhizome and pseudostems were found to contain spathulanol with the high percentage of 3.91% and 3.46%. Meanwhile, by hydrodistillation, the compounds were dominated by fatty acid compunds with the percentage of 82.26%, 82.79% and 76.1% on rhizome, pseudostems and leaves. Glycerol tricaprylate has the high percentage of 66.76% and 82.12% on rhizome and pseudostems, while in leaves, fatty acids 1,2,3-propanetriyl ester-decanoic acid was the highest with the percentage of 61.81%. Sesquiterpenes was the second with the percentage of 10.36%, 11.15%, and 11.61% in rhizomes, pseudostems, and leaves, respectively. Conclusion: The most essential oils of E. flexuosa was obtained from the solvent extraction method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lavandula angustifolia is an important aromatic plant and rich source of linalool. L. angustifolia and its bioactive compounds have been reported to possess several bioactivities such as antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and antidiabetic etc. The aim of the present study is to characterize chemical compounds present in volatile oil and ethyl acetate extract of L. angustifolia aerial parts by gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The hydrodistillation of aerial parts of L. angustifolia yielded 1.56±0.27% v/w volatile oil. The GC-MS analysis of volatile oil of L. angustifolia yielded 74 chemical compounds, and lavandulyl isobutyrate (52.61%), and linalool (5.41%) were identified as major compounds. Ultrasonication was utilized for extraction of L. angustifolia using ethyl acetate as solvent and extraction yield was found to be 3.59±0.73% w/w. The GC-MS analysis of ethyl acetate extract of L. angustifolia yielded 40 chemical compounds and the major compounds were dotriacontane (8.33%), linalool (7.09%), eucalyptol (6.42%), linalyl acetate (4.69%), 1,4-cineole (4.62%), and trans-linalool oxide (4.51%). The present study explores the chemical composition of volatile oil and ethyl acetate extract of L. angustifolia.

The essential oils of three medicinally important Curcuma species (Curcuma alismatifolia, Curcuma aromatica and Curcuma xanthorrhiza) were extracted using conventional hydro-distillation (HD) and solvent free microwave extraction (SFME) methods. The volatile compounds from the rhizome essential oils were subsequently analysed by GC–MS. The isolation of essential oils of each species was carried out following the six principles of green extraction and comparison was made between their chemical composition, antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase and anticancer activities. SFME was found to be more efficient than HD in terms of energy savings, extraction time, oil yield, water consumption and waste production. Though the major compounds of essential oils of both the species were qualitatively similar, there was a significant difference in terms of quantity. The essential oils extracted through HD and SFME methods were dominated by hydrocarbon and oxygenated compounds, respectively. The essential oils of all Curcuma species exhibited strong antioxidant activity, where SFME was significantly better than HD with lower IC50 values. The anti-tyrosinase and anticancer properties of SFME-extracted oils were relatively better than that of HD. Further, among the three Curcuma species, C. alismatifolia essential oil showed the highest rates of inhibition in DPPH and ABTS assay, significantly reduced the tyrosinase activity and exhibited significant selective cytotoxicity against MCF7 and PC3 cells. The current results suggested that the SFME method, being advanced, green and fast, could be a better alternative for production of essential oils with better antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase and anticancer activities for application in food, health and cosmetic industries.

The great genetic and phenotypic diversities characterize the mandarin species (Citrus reticulata). The present study aimed to evaluate a part of this diversity with molecular markers and through the composition of leaf (LEO) and fruit peel (PEO) essential oils. Seventy-two cultivars were chosen for this study to represent some wild and cultivated mandarins growing in the same orchards. The essential oils were analyzed via gas chromatography (retention indices) and via gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The low similarity of ‘Tachibana’ and ‘Korail tachibana’ with mandarins and other species suggested that they were pure mandarins but were not involved in the genesis of the cultivated forms. This distinction was also evident at the aromatic level with specific compounds or unusual proportions, such as δ-3-carene in PEO or β-phellandrene at 24.9% in ‘Korail tachibana’ LEO. ‘Kunembo’ and ‘Ben di gang ju’ were genetically and chemically identical, with a high proportion of myrcene (>20%) in their LEO. In general, the genetic diversity of SSR markers was higher than the chemical diversity. From the 72 accessions, 54 genotypes were identified, with only 8 aromatic profiles in PEO and 9 in LEO. This diversity of essential oils of mandarins offers new perspectives for the research and validation of new aromatic properties for food and cosmetic purposes.

This study deals with the extraction of essential oil from betel leaf using an ultrasound pretreatment method. The sonication time, operating temperature and power have been optimised on the basis of extracted per cent essential oil yield. It was observed that ultrasound pretreatment method gives higher yield than traditional hydrodistillation method. The components present in the essential oil extracted using both of the methods were confirmed by the gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis. The essential oil obtained from both of the methods is showing similar physical properties such as specific gravity and refractive index. The results obtained in this study encouraged the application of ultrasound pretreatment method for the extraction of essential oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary role of plants and its products in the treatment of illness is demonstrated by their employment in all the major health care systems of medicine irrespective of the original philosophical evidence. The particular plant species is used in Oman for the treatment of several diseases including eye drops to treat cataracts. The present study is to isolate the essential oil from the selected plant Cleome austroarabica (C. austroarabica) which is grown in Oman and characterize the biomarkers by using Gas chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil was isolated by hydro-distillation method which was collected from Birkat Al Mouz and Tanuf. The percentage of major biomarkers was analyzed by GC-MS and they are as follows: diterpenes 53.1%, sesquiterpenes 41.8% and monoterpenes 5.1%, respectively. Among them, the major biomarkers were thunbergol (51.1%), elemol (9.4%), γ-eudesmol (6.1%), β-eudesmol (6.1%), α-eudesmol (4.3%), 6-epi-shyobunol (2.7%), 3-(z) cembrene (2.0%), β-bisabolene (1.8%), δ-cadinene (+)- (1.8%), ledol (1.4%), eremophilene (1.2%), sabinen (1.2%), caryophellene (1.0%) and guaiol (1.0%). The antibacterial potential of the plant essential oil (125–1000 μg/ml) was examined against six bacterial strains including Gram (+and –) by using disc diffusion method. All the tested Gram (+and –) bacterial strains displayed slight to moderate antibacterial potential (6–7 mm) against all concentrations of essential oil. The cytotoxic potential of the plant essential oil at different concentrations does not display any mortality against the brine shrimp larvae. In conclusion, based on the biomarkers and antibacterial potential of the isolated essential oil from the species it could be used as medicine to treat infectious diseases.

The aim of this study was the prediction model of retention indices of compounds from the aboveground parts of Achillea clypeolata Sibth. & Sm. essential oil, obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC–MS. The quantitative structure–retention relationship analysis was applied in order to anticipate the retention time of the obtained compounds. The selection of the seven molecular descriptors was done by a genetic algorithm. The chosen descriptors were uncorrelated and were used to construct an artificial neural network. A total of 40 experimentally obtained retention indices was used to build this prediction model. The coefficient of determination for the training, testing and validation cycles were: 0.950, 0.825 and 1.000, respectively, indicating that this model could be used for prediction of retention indices for A. clypeolata, essential oil compounds.

The quality and content of essential oils extracted from medicinal and culinary plants can be affected by harvesting time conditions. This study focused on the antioxidant activity and chemical composition of Origanum dictamnus essential oils under different harvesting time conditions. Samples from the same area and different harvesting times were treated by hydrodistillation. Gas Chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to determine the different compounds found in essential oils. In all the essential oil samples, the phenolic monoterpenoid Carvacrol was prevalent. Through different seasons, we could observe a relatively high yield ratio. However, the lowest and highest yield values were found in plants collected during winter and summer. These essential oils showed high level radical scavenging properties level, as exhibited in the DPPH assay. Essential oils from sample C (collected on 10/02/18) showed the highest antioxidant activity.

This study focused on five different subspecies of Portuguese Daucus carota L., to identify the main compounds in the essential oils of umbels from each subspecies. The isolation of the essential oils was performed by hydrodistillation methods followed by further composition analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, ultimately demonstrating that each subspecies had different major compounds. This study concluded that the main compounds found in Daucus carota subsp. maritimus were geranyl acetate, followed by trans-methyl-isoeugenol, α-pinene, cis-asarone and elemicin. Daucus carota subsp. hispidus presented with the major compounds as geranyl acetate, caryophyllene oxide, trans-methyl-isoeugenol and sabinene. For Daucus carota subsp. maximus, the major compounds were cis-asarone, geranyl acetate and elemicin, which was similar to Daucus carota subsp. carota which presented with the major compounds as geranyl acetate, cis-asarone, trans-methylisoeugenol and α-pinene. Finally, the major components of Daucus carota subsp. sativus were carotol and daucol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Petrosia ficiformis were investigated for the first time. The VOCs from fresh and air-dried sponge were obtained by hydrodistillation and headspace-solid phase microextraction and they were analysed by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Aliphatic compounds with octan-3-one (up to 24.02 %), oct-1-en-3-ol (up to 8.65 %) and heptadecane (up to 39.37 %) were the most abundant in the fresh sponge along with benzaldehyde (up to 18.59 %) and diisobutyl phthalate (up to 8.44 %). Higher percentage of N,N-dimethylmethanamine (up to 19.08 %) was found in dried sample headspace and the loss of octan-3-one and benzaldehyde and increase of benzyl alcohol (up to 18.90 %) were noted. The great difference among the fresh and dried sponge VOCs obtained by hydrodistillation was noticed for fatty acids and derivatives abundance and 1H-indole increased (up to 6.00 %) in the dried sponge. Both methods enabled obtaining more complete VOCs profile and drying significantly changed their composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new method for biomass thermal treatment was introduced. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Ficus hispida biomass were obtained via hydrodistillation. The qualitative analysis of VOCs performed by GC–MS and GC–FID techniques identified pentadecanal (14.65%), 2-(E)-hexenal (11.15%), and 2-butyl-5-methyl-2-hexenoic acid ethyl ester (8.53%) as the major compounds. The chemical components varied significantly from the previous study. The results of the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP methods gave IC50 and antioxidant capacity values of 3.08 ± 0.024 mg/mL, 0.44 ± 0.009 mg/mL, and 135.64 ± 25.49 mM/g, respectively. From the results, the VOCs distilled from F. hispida leaves have an antioxidant property that can be utilized as a natural botanical supplement as an antioxidant and preservative. In addition, the present research offers additional scientific support and a chemical basis for future natural drug discovery.

This study made it possible to characterise by GC (in combination with retention indices), GC-MS and 13C NMR, the chemical composition of the essential oils from Solanum rugosum and Solanum erianthum, two Solanaceae of the Ivorian flora. The two essential oils were characterised by a very high proportion of sesquiterpenes. Specifically, the essential oil of S. rugosum was dominated by (E)-β-caryophyllene (33.7%), β-elemol (19.8%) and germacrene D (14.4%), while that of S. erianthum was mainly composed of α-humulene (38.6%), β-elemol (17.8%) and (E)-β-caryophyllene (16.7%). The chemical composition of Solanum rugosum is described here for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to examine the chemical composition and anticholinesterase inhibitory activity of the essential oil of Pseuduvaria macrophylla (Oliv.) Merr. (Annonaceae) from Malaysia. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and fully analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The analysis led to the identification of thirty-four chemical components that represented 87.7 ± 0.5% of the total oil. The essential oil was found to be rich in germacrene D (21.1 ± 0.4%), bicyclogermacrene (10.5 ± 0.5%), δ-cadinene (5.6 ± 0.2%), α-copaene (5.1 ± 0.3%), and α-cadinol (5.0 ± 0.3%). Anticholinesterase activity was evaluated using Ellman method. The essential oil showed weak inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase (I%: 32.5%) and butyrylcholinesterase (I%: 35.4%) assays. Our findings demonstrate that the essential oil could be very useful for the characterization, pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications of the essential oil from Pseuduvaria macrophylla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the volatile oil composition of the fresh leaves of dill, celery, coriander, and fennel, grown in Jordan, and to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils individually and in binary (50:50) and quaternary (25:25:25:25) mixtures. The volatile oils, obtained by hydrodistillation, were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In vitro antimicrobial activities of the essential oils were evaluated against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. Using the microtiter plate dilution method minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the essential oils were determined and the checkerboard method was then used to investigate the antimicrobial efficacy of the essential oil combinations by means of the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI). Dill and celery samples were rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons, while the oils of fennel and coriander were dominated by non-terpenoid compounds. In antimicrobial experiments, the essential oil of dill yielded the best activity against all tested microorganisms. In binary combination of the essential oils, best results were detected in a combination of dill with coriander against B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa, and fennel with coriander against E. coli and P. aeruginosa. The present study is the first evaluation of the volatile oil composition and determination of the antimicrobial activities of the fresh leaves of dill, celery, coriander, and fennel in binary and quaternary combinations. Additive or synergistic effects were detected in certain binary oil combinations while indifferent and antagonist effects were noticed in other mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three sample preparation methods (hydrodistillation, pressurized liquid extraction and static headspace) used for the extraction of terpenoids from various food matrices (cinnamon, thyme, cumin, fennel, clove, nutmeg and orange) were compared. Extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography−mass spectrometry qualitatively and quantitatively using a wide range of terpenoid standards. Quantitative and qualitative differences were found in the chemical compositions of the analyzed samples depending on the extraction method. Headspace (HS) was the most efficient extraction method as HS extracts were the most concentrated. This allows to reach the lowest limits of detection and quantification for the different standards extracted by HS (eugenol LOD by HS is 0.0022 µg/g against 0.03 µg/g by liquid injection). Furthermore, as HS is a simple, rapid, solventless and automated extraction method, it should be considered as an alternative technique to hydrodistillation or pressurized liquid extraction when quantifying terpenoids in food matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litsea cubeba is an important aromatic oil plant. Litsea cubeba pericarp essential oil has various physiological activities such as antibacterial activity, antioxidant capacity, etc., and is widely used. Its main ingredient is citral, which is the raw material for the synthesis of many precious spices. For the purpose of increasing yield, researchers have conducted many studies on the extraction of essential oil from pericarp of Litsea cubeba. But the extraction process still has room for optimization。In this study, Litsea cubeba fruits were subjected to an optimized method of hydrodistillation to increase the yield and biological activity of pericarp essential oils. Three-factor and three-level orthogonal experimental design was performed (fruit preservation time, distillation voltage and fruit microwave pretreatment time) to optimize the process. According to the results of orthogonal experiments, the highest yield of essential oil can be obtained after the fruit has been preserved for 9 days without microwave pretreatment and the distillation voltage is 220 V. The extracted essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), which indicated that their main components were 2,6-Octadienal, 3,7-dimethyl-, (E)-, 2,6-Octadienal, 3,7-dimethyl-, (Z)-, 1-Heptanol and 1-Octanol. GC–MS results showed that the relative content of citral in the extracted essential oil was the highest after the fruit was preserved for nine days without microwave pretreatment and the distillation voltage was 150 V. Changes in the process will not significantly affect the main component types of essential oils, but will significantly affect the relative content of the same components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary role of plants and its products in the treatment of illness is demonstrated by their employment in all the major health care systems of medicine irrespective of the original philosophical evidence. The particular plant species is used in Oman for the treatment of several diseases including eye drops to treat cataracts. The present study is to isolate the essential oil from the selected plant Cleome austroarabica (C. austroarabica) which is grown in Oman and characterize the biomarkers by using Gas chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil was isolated by hydro-distillation method which was collected from Birkat Al Mouz and Tanuf. The percentage of major biomarkers was analyzed by GC-MS and they are as follows: diterpenes 53.1%, sesquiterpenes 41.8% and monoterpenes 5.1%, respectively. Among them, the major biomarkers were thunbergol (51.1%), elemol (9.4%), g-eudesmol (6.1%), b-eudesmol (6.1%), a-eudesmol (4.3%), 6-epishyobunol (2.7%), 3-(z) cembrene (2.0%), b-bisabolene (1.8%), d-cadinene (þ)- (1.8%), ledol (1.4%), eremophilene (1.2%), sabinen (1.2%), caryophellene (1.0%) and guaiol (1.0%). The antibacterial potential of the plant essential oil (125e1000 mg/ml) was examined against six bacterial strains including Gram (þand e) by using disc diffusion method. All the tested Gram (þand e) bacterial strains displayed slight to moderate antibacterial potential (6 e7 mm) against all concentrations of essential oil. The cytotoxic potential of the plant essential oil at different concentrations does not display any mortality against the brine shrimp larvae. In conclusion, based on the biomarkers and antibacterial potential of the isolated essential oil from the species it could be used as medicine to treat infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To discover new natural materials for insect management, commercially available stored sheep wool was investigated for attractancy to female adult Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The volatiles from sheep wool were collected by various techniques of headspace (HS) extractions and hydrodistillation. These extracts were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC-FID) coupled with GC-MS. Fifty-two volatile compounds were detected, many of them known for their mosquito attractant activity. Seven compounds were not previously reported in sheep products. The volatile composition of the extracts varied significantly across collections, depending on the extraction techniques or types of fibers applied. Two types of bioassay were conducted to study attractancy of the sheep wool volatiles to mosquitoes: laboratory bioassays using glass tubes, and semi-field bioassays using large, screened outdoor cages. In bioassays with glass tubes, the sheep wool hydrodistillate and its main component, thialdine, did not show any significant attractant activity against female adult Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. Semi-field bioassays in two large screened outdoor cages, each equipped with a U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) trap and the various bait setups with Vortex apparatus, revealed that vibrating wool improved mosquito catches compared to the setups without wool or with wool but not vibrating. Sheep wool, when vibrated, may release intensively volatile compounds, which could serve as olfactory cues, and play significant role in making the bait attractive to mosquitoes. Sheep wool is a readily available, affordable, and environment-friendly material. It should have the potential to be used as a mosquito management and surveillance component in dynamic bait setups.

The present research has been planned to evaluate the effect of enzymatic maceration on the recovery of essential oil during hydrodistillation of orange (Citrus sinensis L.) peel. In the execution phase, the orange peel was hydrolysed under different conditions regarding enzyme concentration, liquid‐to‐solid ratio, temperature and incubation time, which established that hydrolysis of orange peel with 3.9% (mL/100 g) Viscozyme L® at liquid/solid ratio of 4.0 (mL/g) and 55°C for 3.8 hours can produce essential oil fourfold higher as compared to untreated orange peel. The kinetic modelling of the data further established that the incorporation of enzymatic pretreatment can reduce the extraction time up to 4 hours without any loss of aroma compounds. The GC‐MS analysis of orange peel essential oil obtained under optimum conditions of enzyme‐assisted hydrodistillation (EAHD) revealed the presence of D‐limonene as a major constituent (66%) followed by β‐caryophyllene (23%) and isopropyl myristate (11%). Moreover, the orange peel essential oil expressed via EAHD showed a good tendency to neutralize free radicals and protect linoleic acid under ambient conditions. Henceforth, it might be brought forward that enzyme‐assisted hydrodistillation worked more efficiently and economically than the conventional counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality and content of essential oils extracted from medicinal and culinary plants can be affected by harvesting time conditions. This study focused on the antioxidant activity and chemical composition of Origanum dictamnus essential oils under different harvesting time conditions. Samples from the same area and different harvesting times were treated by hydrodistillation. Gas Chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to determine the different compounds found in essential oils. In all the essential oil samples, the phenolic monoterpenoid Carvacrol was prevalent. Through different seasons, we could observe a relatively high yield ratio. However, the lowest and highest yield values were found in plants collected during winter and summer. These essential oils showed high level radical scavenging properties level, as exhibited in the DPPH assay. Essential oils from sample C (collected on 10/02/18) showed the highest antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oil (EO) of the desert cotton (Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Juss. ex Schul.) was extracted by hydrodistillation, from A. javanica flowers growing in the sandy soils of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) wild desert. The influence of seasonal variation on flowers’ EO yield was studied. The flowers’ EO yield obtained from spring samples (0.011%) was significantly the highest followed by early summer (0.009%), winter (0.007%), and autumn samples (0.006%), respectively. The flowers’ EO antioxidant analysis were tested by DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays (in vitro). Results proved that A. javanica flowers’ EO, isolated during the four seasons, is a good source of natural bioactive antioxidants. Based on the three tested assays, the highest antioxidant activity was recorded in the spring. Testing of the chemical composition of the flowers’ EO was conducted for the season with the highest yield and the best antioxidant performance, recorded in spring, by a combination of gas chromatograph (GC) and gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). This led to the identification of 29 volatile components, in which the flowers’ oil was characterized by angustione as a major compound. Photos by scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed prominent availability of star-shaped trichomes in the epidermis of the flowers.

Fresh leaves of N. glauca were collected from the northern region of Tunisia. The leaves were submitted to water distillation for 4 h, using a Clevenger-type apparatus. The obtained essential oils were dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate and after filtration, stored at 4 °C until use. The chemical composition of the isolated essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Eighteen compounds were identified: eugenol, the major compound in the essential oil, was present at a high level (58.49%), followed by nonadecane, eugenyl acetate and tridecane, 3-methyl at 6.38; 5.57 and 5.19%, respectively. The percentage of compounds dodecane, 2, 6, 11 trimethyl, tetradecane, docosane, tricosane and 1, 2-benzene dicarboxilic, dibutyl ester varied between 1 and 2%; whereas the other compounds (including limonene, and saturated hydrocarbons) remained at low percentages, not exceeding 1%. This study could be very useful for the characterization, pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications of the essential oil from N. glauca.

The objective of this work was to determine the chemical composition, the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the essential oils (EOs) extracted by hydrodistillation from different organs of the D. viscosa: flowers, leaves and aerial parts. The main compounds identified by GC/MS are oxygenated sesquiterpenes. Among these compounds, (E)-nerolidol (40.7%) is the most abundant constituent of flowers' essential oil while caryophyllene oxide (9.9%), isolongifolan-7-α-ol (10.3%) and α -eudesmol (9.1%) are the major constituents of the leaves' essential oil. The presence of these compounds in the aerial parts' essential oil is solely due to those of the flowers and leaves that constitute these aerial parts. The volatile extracts showed antioxidant effects with IC50 values ranging between 9.25 and 9.75 mg.mL−1. On the other hand, EOs showed antibacterial effects on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The highest activity was obtained with flowers' essential oil against Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical compositions were investigated for pine essential oils obtained through a solvent-free microwave assistance extraction system (ME) and a conventional hydrodistillation system (HD). The essential oils of P. pinea, P. nigra, P. brutia, and P. sylvestris sawdust were analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GCMS). The main components of the pine essential oils were D-limonene (52.8% for ME and 76.6% for HD), β-caryophyllene (12.4% for ME), β-myrcene (2.89% for ME and 1.48% for HD), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (25% for ME and 9.79% for HD), and total sesquiterpene (25.25% for ME and 9.79% for HD) for P. pinea; D-limonene (28.1% for ME and 79.2% for HD) for P. nigra; α-pinene (76.6% for ME and 77.3% for HD), diterpene hydrocarbons (94.17% for ME and 95.62% for HD), and total diterpenes (94.94% for ME and 96.3% for HD) for P. brutia; β-pinene (36.7% for ME and 42.4% for HD), terpineol, (13.8% for ME and 6.06% for HD) diterpene alcohol (26% for ME and 12.57% for HD), and total oxygenated terpenes (26% for ME and 12.57% for HD)for P. sylvestris. Moreover, the ME was able to produce more diterpene alcohols and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons while the HD showed higher potential for the diterpene hydrocarbons. According to the heat-map correlation, P. pinea showed high similarity with P. nigra, while P. sylvestris was related to P. brutia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basil essential oil (BEO) contains a wide range of chemical compounds whose content may vary depending on chemotypes, environmental conditions, agronomic techniques and particularly the origin of the plant. In our present study, essential oils (EOs) were isolated by hydrodistillation method from dry herbs of three basil cultivars and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Two of the tested cultivars belong to sweet basil group (B1 and B2) while the third one was large leafed 'Genovese' basil (B3). EO content in the dry herb was 0.65%, 0.41% and 0.62% respectively. The main classes of compounds of B1EO and B3EO were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (38.39% and 37.95%), oxygenated monoterpenes (25.44% and 28.04%) and phenylpropanoids (17.43% and 15.71%). The main constituents of both EOs were monoterpene alcohol linalool (13.68% and 15.38%), phenoyl derivate eugenol (10.83% and 8.97%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbon α-bergamotene (8.12% and 9.25%). In both EOs, epi-bicyclosesquiphellandrene was detected in considerable amount (7.03% and 8.07%). The most abundant compound classes in B2EO were oxygenated monoterpenes (52.07%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (24.27%) and phenylpropanoids (10.95%). Linalool was the dominant compound (40.97%), followed by epi-bicyclosesquiphellandrene (8.70%) and methyl chavicol (7.92%). The results showed complex chemical composition of BEOs and pointed out the presence of biologically active compounds of importance for different branches of the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industry. Although there are differences in the chemical composition of the BEOs, the obtained results show that all of the tested cultivars are rich in compounds which are responsible for biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fresh leaves of N. glauca were collected from the northern region of Tunisia. The leaves were submitted to water distillation for 4 h, using a Clevenger-type apparatus. The obtained essential oils were dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate and after filtration, stored at 4 °C until use. The chemical composition of the isolated essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography--mass spectrometry (GC--MS). Eighteen compounds were identified: eugenol, the major compound in the essential oil, was present at a high level (58.49%), followed by nonadecane, eugenyl acetate and tridecane, 3-methyl at 6.38; 5.57 and 5.19%, respectively. The percentage of compounds dodecane, 2, 6, 11 trimethyl, tetradecane, docosane, tricosane and 1, 2-benzene dicarboxilic, dibutyl ester varied between 1 and 2%; whereas the other compounds (including limonene, and saturated hydrocarbons) remained at low percentages, not exceeding 1%. This study could be very useful for the characterization, pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications of the essential oil from N. glauca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Essential oils are chemical products produced by odoriferous glands from a variety of plants. These essential oil have many health benefits i.e. antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. So due to these medicinal properties present study was designed to analyze essential oil of Thymus vulgaris and Mentha arvensis for their chemical composition and biological activities. Materials and methods: Essential oil from these plants were extracted by hydrodistillation method, and analyzed by GC-MS. To test the microbial activity of these oil disk diffusion method and micro wells method were used. For free radical scavenging DPPH assay was used. However total phenolic content was measured by colorimetric method. Results: The GC-MS analysis of T. vulgaris oil showed the presence of 47 chemical compounds among which thymol, terpinene, p-cymene and carvacrol were major. However essential oil of M. arvensis showed the presence of 28 constituents, among which the Menthone, Menthol, Isomenthone, Eucalyptol, neo-Menthol, cis-Piperitone oxide, Linalool, Thymol, Limonene, and α-Phellandrene were major. Essential oil from both these plant tested for antimicrobial activity showed that the T. vulgaris oil was effective against seven bacterial strains and the essential oil of M. arvensis was effective against six bacterial strain. The antioxidant activity of both samples by DPPH assay which showed positive result. Conclusion: As both species showed the presence of active components, positive microbial activities, and antioxidant activity so, research should be carried on for further biological activities of these oil for betterment of living beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Simultaneous ultrasonic/microwave assisted hydrodistillation extraction (UMHE) was first employed to extract essential oil. Meanwhile, the effects of UMHE, hydrodistillation extraction (HE), microwave assisted hydrodistillation extraction (MHE) and solvent extraction (SE) on the yield, chemical composition, antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of essential oil were evaluated. The optimized conditions determined by response surface methodology were as follows: solvent to solid ratio was 5.2:1 (ml/g), extraction time was 15.5 min, and microwave power was 816 W. Moreover, 15 min was sufficient for UMHE to obtain higher yield than that by HE for 1.5 h, indicating a significant reduction of extraction time and an improvement of efficiency. Forty five compounds were identified in the essential oil through GC-MS analysis. The composition of essential oils obtained by UMHE, MHE and HE was similar, and the major compounds were D-Limonene, γ-Terpinene and α-Pinene. Moreover, the results indicated that the antibacterial activity of the essential oils was similar. All the essential oils exhibited inhibitive effect on biofilm formation. The inhibitive effect of essential oils of HE and UMHE was significantly higher than that of the essential oil obtained by SE. This study suggests that UMHE is a rapid and efficient alternative for the extraction of essential oils, with a nice potential for application. Also, UMHE provides a possible approach to improve the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of essential oils. Highlights • UMHE was first used to extract essential oil from plants. • UMHE reduced the extraction time and increased the yield. • The composition of essential oil obtained by UMHE and HE was similar. • UMHE significantly improved the anti-biofilm activity of essential oil. • It provides a new alternative to increase extraction speed, yield and bioactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nigerian essential oils of fresh Pterocapus soyauxii leaf, leaf stalk and stem bark were isolated by hydro-distillation using the adapted all glass Clevenger's apparatus designed to British Pharmacopeia specifications. Chemical compositions of the plant parts were characterized using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). The leaf essential oil contained 12 compounds, out of which 10 were identified accounting for 93.91% of it. Leaf stalk oil had 20 major compounds, which were characterised; they constitute 95.47% of the oil. 11 compounds make up 78.61% of stem bark oil, out of which 7 were characterised, responsible for 76.30% of it. Prominent compounds in the leaf oil were cembrene (43.59%), a monocyclic diterpenoid, eremophilene (29.72%), and azulene derivatives (6.62%), which are polycyclic aromatic compounds. Leaf stalk oil was dominated by hexadecane (32.97%), cis- and trans- β-ocimene (11.60 and 7.74% respectively) and heptanol (8.39%). Major compounds in stem bark oil were neophytadiene (22.11%), 2-heptanol (19.27%) and 3,7,11,15-Tetramethyl-2-hexadecene-1-ol (14.35%). Other prominent compounds in the stem bark oil are 4-propyl-cyclohexene (4.83%), 3-Eicosyne (7.63%), 3,7,11-trimethyl-14-(1-methylethyl-[S- (E,Z,E,E)]-1,3,6,10-cyclodecatetraene (5.10%) and methyl-Z-5,8,11,14,17-Eicosapentaenoate (3.01%). Notable compounds of biological importance and in appreciable amounts in the oils include phytol (6.93%), squalene (1.14%) and ambrial (1.97%). Fragmentation patterns in the mass spectrum of some unidentified compounds are also presented which are unique features of the oils. Interesting classes of compounds in the three oils include monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, naphthalenes, alcohols and hydrocarbons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six essential oils from Morrocan plants belonging to different botanical families (Lamiaceae, Pinaceae and Verbenaceae), were prepared by hydrodistillation. These essential oils from Morrocan plants, which have a long tradition in adjuvant therapy, were tested for insecticidal activity by the method of microcomputer-atmosphere against three major pests of stored products : Rhyzopertha dominica (F), Sitophilus oryzae (L) and Tribolium castaneum (herbst). The results obtained showed that the essential oils possessed highly significant insecticidal properties against the pests studied. R (+) pulegone, a monoterpene ketone and a major component of the essential oil of Mentha pulegium exhibited the highest insecticidal activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Deep eutectic solvent has been gaining much attention in recent years due to its various novel properties. The present study develops a novel microwave-assisted hydrodistillation method based on pretreatment using deep eutectic solvent, for the extraction of essential oil (EO) from dry fruits of Amomum kravanh, Amomum tsaoko, and Amomum villosum, respectively. The process is optimized by single-factor experiments taking the improvement in the essential oil yield of A. kravanh as the target. The results indicate that using the reaction product of choline chloride and ethylene glycol as the deep eutectic solvent with 7:1 of mass ratio to fruit powder, the optimal conditions are (1) pretreatment stage: 500 W of microwave power, 50 °C of temperature, and 7 min of duration; (2) fast heating stage: 600 W of microwave power, 110 °C of temperature, and 5 min of duration; (3) hydrodistillation stage: 300 W of microwave power, 110 °C of temperature, and 30 min of duration. Under these conditions, the EO yields of A. kravanh, A. tsaoko, and A. villosum are 3.64, 2.16, and 1.62%, respectively. The EOs are analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, with totally 63 compounds identified. In most cases, the new method brings about more identified compounds than the traditional methods. Moreover, the relative contents of hydrocarbons in most essential oils are improved by applying the new method. Thus, the approach based on deep eutectic solvent has been proved superior in the enhancement of essential oil production.Graphical abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oil of ‘Gannanzao’ orange peel was extracted by hydrodistillation, and the extraction conditions were optimized by Box–Behnken response surface methodology. The components of essential oil were analyzed by GC-MS. Thirty-nine different components were detected, accounting for 99.59% of the total oil. Limonene (88.07%) was the prominent component. The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: liquid material ratio of 8.4:1 (mL/g), sodium chloride concentration of 5.3%, and distillation time of 3.5 h. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay showed that ‘Gannanzao’ orange peel essential oil had good dose-dependent inhibition effect on the proliferation of HepG2 hepatoma cells and HCT116 colorectal cancer cells. When the concentration of the essential oil was 0.6 μL/mL or higher, the viability rate of both cancer cells became lower than 13.0%. The transwell assay indicated the essential oil can inhibit migration of both cancer cells at the concentration of 0.3 μL/mL.

Hydrodistillation (HD), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and reflux extraction (RE) were applied to obtain Cinnamomi ramulus extracts. The yields, chemical compositions and antiviral activities of the extracts were investigated. Extracts were analysed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and the antiviral activities were evaluated using cytopathic effect inhibition assay. HD, SFE and RE afforded 0.376, 1.227 and 5.914% yields, respectively. Cinnamaldehyde (CA), SFE and ethanol extracts exhibited antiviral activities against herpes simplex virus type 1. Moreover, CA and other three extracts had inhibition efficacy against respiratory syncytial virus. The most efficient antiviral activities were obtained with SFE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E. ciliata (Lamiaceae) is very interesting and promising herb mainly for chemical composition and pharmacological activities. The aim of this study was to determine chemical composition of the essential oils of fresh, frozen and dried herbal materials of E. ciliata and compare different extraction methods This is the first study on composition of E. ciliata volatile compounds from fresh, frozen and dried herbal samples. The samples were prepared by hydrodistillation (HD), extraction with polar solvent-ethanol (ESE) and dynamic headspace solid-phase micro extraction (SPME) and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method. A total of 48 compounds were identified by GC–MS. Dehydroelsholtzia ketone, elsholtzia ketone, sesquiterpenes β-bourbonene, caryophyllene, α-caryophyllene, germacrene D and α-farnesene were identified and found to be predominant compounds in SPME composition of the fresh, frozen and dried herbal samples. The major amounts of ketones (dehydroelsholtzia and elsholtzia) were determined in dried herbal samples where they made up 24.94% ( p < 0.05 ) and 71.34% ( p < 0.05 ) of the SPME composition. Artemisia ketone was determined only in fresh herb. No previous report exists regarding this ketone in E. ciliata fresh, frozen and dried herbal materials or essential oil. There were 26 components identified in the essential oil obtained by HD. The main compounds of this essential oil were dehydroelsholtzia ketone (78.28%) and elsholtzia ketone (14.58%). Essential oil showed antiproliferative activity on three tested cancer cell lines (human glioblastoma (U87), pancreatic cancer (Panc-1) and triple negative breast cancer (MDA-MB231)) in vitro . EC 50 (half maximal effective concentration) values of essential oil against those cells were in the range of 0.017–0.021%. The viability of human normal fibroblasts exposed to the same concentrations of the essential oil was statistically significantly higher compared to the viability of cancer cells ( p < 0.05 ). The extracts did not show any effect on U87 cells, and only slightly decreased MDA-MB231 cell viability (up to 76.4%) at the highest concentration of 10 mg/mL. The impact that different extraction methods have on the yield of the essential oil from the tested herbal materials requires a further research. It would enable production of pharmaceutical forms enriched by these essential oils, which are notable for their anticancer activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]