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Common ivy ( Hedera helix subsp. helix) is a well-known native and ornamental plant in Europe. Reports on contact dermatitis from ivy have regularly appeared since 1899. Recently, it has been suggested that allergic contact dermatitis from the plant may be under-diagnosed, partly due to lack of commercial patch test allergens. The objective of the article is to present the results of aimed patch testing with the main common ivy allergen, falcarinol, during a 16-year period and review the newer literature. Consecutive patients tested with falcarinol 0.03% petrolatum from May 1993 to May 2009 were included. Cases published since 1987 were retrieved from the PubMed database. One hundred and twenty-seven Danish patients were tested with falcarinol and 10 (7.9%) tested positive. Seven were occupationally sensitized. Between 1994 and 2009, 28 new cases of contact dermatitis from ivy were reported, 2 of which were occupational. Only 11 of the 28 patients were tested with pure allergens. Falcarinol is not only widely distributed in the ivy family, but also in the closely related Apiaceae. Sensitization may occur in childhood or in adults pruning ivy plants or handling them in an occupational setting. In view of the ubiquity of falcarinol-containing plants and the relatively high prevalence of positive reactions in aimed patch testing, falcarinol should be the next plant allergen to be commercially available and included in the plant series worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the frequency of sensitization to 26 fragrances to be labelled according to current European regulation. During 4 periods of 6 months, from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2004, 26 fragrances were patch tested additionally to the standard series in a total of 21 325 patients; the number of patients tested with each of the fragrances ranged from 1658 to 4238. Hydroxymethylpentylcyclohexene carboxaldehyde (HMPCC) was tested throughout all periods. The following frequencies of sensitization (rates in %, standardized for sex and age) were observed: tree moss (2.4%), HMPCC (2.3), oak moss (2.0), hydroxycitronellal (1.3), isoeugenol (1.1), cinnamic aldehyde (1.0), farnesol (0.9), cinnamic alcohol (0.6), citral (0.6), citronellol (0.5), geraniol (0.4), eugenol (0.4), coumarin (0.4), lilial (0.3), amyl-cinnamic alcohol (0.3), benzyl cinnamate (0.3), benzyl alcohol (0.3), linalool (0.2), methylheptin carbonate (0.2), amyl-cinnamic aldehyde (0.1), hexyl-cinnamic aldehyde (0.1), limonene (0.1), benzyl salicylate (0.1), γ-methylionon (0.1), benzyl benzoate (0.0), anisyl alcohol (0.0). 1) Substances with higher sensitization frequencies were characterized by a considerable number of ‘++/+++’ reactions. 2) Substances with low sensitization frequencies were characterized by a high number of doubtful/irritant and a low number of stronger (++/+++) reactions. 3) There are obviously fragrances among the 26 which are, with regard to contact allergy, of great, others of minor, and some of no importance at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variations in the essential oil composition of Mentha × piperita L., cultivated in different European countries, were determined. The oils were obtained in yields of 0.8-3.3% from dried samples. A total of 46 components were identified, representing over 90% of the total yield of oil. The principal components in the oils of peppermint were menthone (11.2-45.6%), menthol (1.5- 39.5%), isomenthone (1.3-15.5%), menthyl acetate (0.3-9.2%), piperitone (0.8-5.9%), pulegone (0.1-13.0), 1,8-cineole (0.4-6.0%), limonene (1.0-5.9%), and trans-sabinene hydrate (traces - 6.2%). The ratio between menthol and menthone varied from 0.04 to 2.8 and between 1,8-cineole and limonene from 0.3 to 5.0. Menthol was predominant (37-40%) in the oils from Greece and Hungary. Russian peppermint oil contained only 1.5% menthol, but was rich in menthone (38.2%), isomenthone (15.5%), and pulegone (13.0%). Menthone (37.9-39.5%) and menthol (31.6 - 35.8%) were found in high concentrations in Estonian peppermint oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]