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Background: Reduction in the quality and quantity of food can be due to the presence and growth of fungi in food. Responsible for contamination of feed and food, are some species of Aspergillus. Objectives: Objectives of this study were to investigate the essential oil of Satureja rechingeri as antifungal agent against strains of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL2999 and Aspergillus flavus PICC-AF39 (productive aflatoxin B1). Methods: Antifungal activities of the oil to inhibit growth of aflatoxins of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL2999 and Aspergillus flavus PICC-AF39 were studied. Antifungal properties of essential oil of S. rechingeri at a concentration of 107 and 105 spores/mL on aflatoxin fungus Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL2999 and Aspergillus flavus PICC-AF39 were studied. Antifungal assessment activity was performed using disk diffusion method. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) were determined. Results: Inhibition zone diameter for 20 µL oil 107 spores/mL of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL2999 and Aspergillus flavus PICC-AF39, was reported 55, 70 mm as respectively and MIC and MFC, for the oil was respectively 150, 450 and 150, 300 ppm. Inhibition zone diameter for 20 µL oil 105 spores of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL2999 and Aspergillus flavus PICC-AF39, respectively 65, 78 mm was reported and MIC and MFC, for the oil were 50, 200 and 50, 100 ppm respectively. Conclusions: Natural compounds such S. rechingeri for prevention of aflatoxinogen fungal growth are recommended because of strong antifungal activities.

The incorporation of aromatic plants of Lamiaceae family (oregano, thyme, and Satureja) in a wheat bread was investigated for the effect on the total phenolics, the profile of phenolics, and their free radical scavenging activities. In addition, the influence on dough and bread quality characteristics such as color, gas cells structure, bread texture, degree of staling, and acceptability to consumers was studied. The volume of the fortified breads with dried aromatic plants was slightly decreased and their crumbs were firmer and darker than that of the control bread, yet sensory testing panelists scored them as more aromatic and better tasting. Aromatic plants increased the content of bioactive and antioxidant compounds in the bread though the baking procedure negatively affected the level of these compounds; incorporation of the herbs in a dry form was more effective. The major phenolics detected were carvacrol, rosmarinic acid, and naringenin which have potential health benefits for the consumer. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The aromatic plants of the Lamiaceae family are very rich in phytochemicals with high antioxidant activity. Wheat grains contain significant levels of natural antioxidants such as ferulic acid, tocopherols, and tocotrienols. In contrast, the content of these phytochemicals in the refined flour that is used for the production of traditional bread is much lower since the bran and embryo fractions rich in those compounds are removed during the milling process. The introduction of phytochemicals in the bread recipe will increase the nutritional quality of the final bread and at the same time increase the daily intake of substances with health benefits since bread is consumed daily. Consumption of breads enriched with aromatic plants could be a new way to deliver valuable phytochemicals to consumers and fulfill the increasing consumers' demand for functional foods.

The aim of this study was to develop a chemically stable plant following a pre-domestication process and the valorization of its essential oil for the production of biopesticides. This study was conducted during four growing seasons to give a pre-domesticated population (SAMO-0). The resulting pre-domesticated population increased the hydrodistilled oil yield (average 0.45%) and maintained a stable yield of dry material (44.5%). The plant material was submitted to pilot plant scale steam distillation under three pressures (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 bar) with lower yield (average 0.15 %). The essential oil showed a carvacrol / p-cymene chemotype. The pre-domestication process increased β-myrcene, α- and γ-terpinene, p-cymene, thymol and β-bisabolene; and decreased α-thujene and carvacrol. The steam distillation increased the oil content in α-thujene, α-pinene, α-terpinene, p-cymene and trans-caryophyllene, and decreased borneol, thymoquinone thymol and β-bisabolene. Pressure increased α-terpinene, thymol and carvacrol Additionally, the study of the biocidal effects (against the insect pests Spodoptera littoralis, Myzus persicae and Leptinotarsa decemlineata and the phytopathogenic nematode Meloydogine javanica) of the EOs showed that overall, the most active oils were the hydrodistilled (to all insect species), followed by the steam distilled oils with higher carvacrol and thymol content (pressures of 1.5 and 1.0 bar). Carvacrol and thymol were responsible for the activity of these oils on M persicae, and L. decemlineata but only partially on S littoralis. The steam distilled oils showed strong nematicidal activity against M. javanica that could be partially explained by their content in active carvacrol and thymol.

Satureja montana L. (winter savory “Repandens”) is an evergreen shrub. In late summer 2010, blight was observed on a farm near Albenga (northern Italy) on 3% of 500 potted 2-month-old plants. Semicircular, water-soaked lesions appeared first on stems then on leaves. As the disease progressed, blighted leaves turned brown, withered, clung to the shoots, and matted on the surrounding foliage within 5 to 6 days. Stem fragments taken from the margin of the diseased tissues of 10 plants were disinfected for 10 s in 1% NaOCl, rinsed with sterile water, and plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with 100 μg/liter streptomycin sulfate. A fungus with morphological characters of Rhizoctonia solani was consistently isolated. Three isolates of R. solani obtained from affected plants were successfully anastomosed with R. solani isolate AG 1 (ATCC 58946). Three pairings were made for each tested strain. Hyphal diameter at the point of anastomosis was reduced, the anastomosis point was obvious, and death of adjacent cells was observed. Results were consistent with other reports on anastomosis reactions (2). Isolates from winter savory were paired with R. solani isolates AG 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, or 11 and examined microscopically. Anastomosis was not observed in any of the pairings. Tests were repeated once. Mycelium of 10-day-old isolates from winter savory appeared light brown, compact, and radiate. Numerous, dark brown sclerotia, 1 to 4 mm in diameter (average 1.7), developed within 20 days after transfer of mycelia to PDA in 90-mm-diameter petri dishes and incubated (11-h daylight, 13-h dark) at 21 to 24°C. Descriptions of mycelium and sclerotia were typical for subgroup IA Type 2 (3). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified with primers ITS1/ITS4 and sequenced. BLASTn analysis (1) of the 696 bp showed a 99% homology with the sequence of R. solani. The nucleotide sequence has been assigned GenBank No. JQ313811. For pathogenicity tests, inoculum of R. solani was prepared by growing the pathogen on wheat kernels autoclaved in 1-liter glass flasks (30 min at 121°C and 1 atm) for 15 days. One of the isolates assigned to the anastomosis group AG 1 IA was tested. Five 90-day-old plants of S. montana were inoculated. Each plant grown in 2-liter pots in a steam disinfested peat/pumice/pine bark/clay mix (50:20:20:20:10) was inoculated with 10 g of infested wheat kernels placed at the base of the stem. Five plants inoculated with noninfested wheat kernels served as the control. Plants covered with plastic bags were arranged randomly in a growth chamber at 20 ± 1°C with 12-h light/dark for 5 days. Symptoms, similar to those observed in the farm, developed 4 days after inoculation. Ten colonies of R. solani were reisolated from infected leaves and stems of each inoculated plant. Control plants remained healthy. The pathogenicity test was carried out twice. Symptoms caused by R. solani have been recently observed on S. hortensis in Poland (4). This is, to our knowledge, the first report of blight of S. montana caused by R. solani in Italy. References: (1) S. F. Altschul et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 25:3389, 1997. (2) D. E. Carling. Rhizoctonia Species: Taxonomy, Molecular Biology, Ecology, Pathology and Disease Control. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands, 1996. (3) R. T. Sherwood. Phytopathology 59:1924, 1969. (4) B. Zimowska. Herba Polonica 56:29, 2010.

Background Finding the best dressing for a specific wound had continued from the past to present. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of encapsulated extract of Satureja khuzistanica in hydrogel alginate at wound healing. Methods Thirty-two male Wistar rats with a puncture wound in the back of the neck skin were divided randomly into four groups including a control group, Satureja khuzistanica-treated group, hydrogel alginate-treated group, and Satureja khuzistanica encapsulated in hydrogel alginate-treated group. Rats were treated for 22 days. The skin samples were taken on 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 22nd days after treatment for light microscopy. Results were analyzed in accordance with Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman test (for histopathology analysis) by using SPSS v.22 software. Results Macroscopically evaluations and measurement of wound size showed increased wound healing process in the treated groups. The complete improvement was created on the 14th day. The wound site was not observed on the 22nd day. But the wound site was observed on the 22nd day in the control group. Also, comparison of the percentage of wound healing between the treated and control groups on 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 22nd days showed a significant difference (p

A dispersive micro solid-phase extraction (DMSPE) technique was developed using manganese-oxide nanoparticles loaded on activated carbon (Mn3O4-NPs-AC) as an effective sorbent combined with ultrasound for the extraction and determination of a trace amount of thymol and carvacrol in methanolic extracts of Thymus daenensis, Salvia officinalis, Stachys pilifera, Satureja khuzistanica and mentha, and water samples. Thymol and carvacrol phenolic compounds were extracted from real samples using acetonitrile (ACN) as the desorption solvent. Using central composite design (CCD), the effects of pH, ionic strength (NaCl), nano-sorbent mass, contact time, and desorption volume were investigated. Additionally, based on five-level variables, response surface methodology was used to determine the individual and interactive effects between factors on the process. The optimized extraction conditions included 12 mg of Mn3O4-NPs-AC as the sorbent, 300 μL of ACN as the desorption solvent, pH 3.0, 0.5 w/v% of NaCl, and 4.5 min sonication time. Under the optimized conditions, for all the samples, the limits of detection were 0.054-0.104 ng mL-1 and the limits of quantification were 0.178-0.345 ng mL-1. The correlation coefficients of the calibration curves were >0.985, i.e. in the range of 0.4-6000 ng mL-1. To validate the effects of the matrix, the recovery, reproducibility, repeatability, and overall uncertainty were calculated for the five methanolic extracts, at 50, 100, and 500 ng mL-1. The recovery ranged between 94.5% and 109.0% with a relative standard deviation of

Amaç: Alzheimer hastalığı (AH) nörodejeneratif bir hastalıktır ve en sık görülen bunama şeklidir. Dünyanın dört bir yanından araştırmacıların yeni bitkisel yaklaşımlar üzerinde çalışmasına yol açmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Satureja cuneifolia, Alcea dissecta ve Capparis ovata var. canescens bitkilerinin sinir hücreleri üzerindeki koruyucu etkilerini araştırmak ve bu etkilerin mekanizmalarını tespit etmektedir.Gereç ve Yöntem: Bitkilerin topraküstü kısımları oda koşullarında kurutulduktan sonra, bunların metanol ekstraktları toz numunelerinden maserasyon ile hazırlanmıştır. İnsan SK-N-SH nöroblastoma hücreleri kültürlendi. Tedavi edilen tüm SK-N-SH hücreleri, ağağıdaki gibi 2 gruba ayrıldı: Kontrol grubu, Ab1-42 grubu (48 saat boyunca 0.1-10 µM Ab1-42 ile tedavi edilen hücreler). Bütün deneyler, 48 saat inkübasyondan sonra gerçekleştirildi. Hücre canlılığını MTT ile kolorimetrik ölçüldü. Veri analizi GraphPad Prism 6.0 yazılımı ile yapıldı. Testlerin sonuçları tek yönlü ANOVA ve ardından Tukey yöntemi ile analiz edildi ve ortalama ± standart sapma ile verildi. Bulgular: Çalışmamızda, Satureja cuneifolia, Alcea dissecta ve Capparis ovata bitki ekstrelerinin SK-N-SH hücrelerinde doza bağımlı olarak amiloid toksisitesini belirgin oranda inhibe ettikleri saptanmıştır.Sonuçlar: Çalışmamız, AH’nin güncel tedavisini destekleyen yeni ve etkili bitkisel tedavi yaklaşımları sunarak hastalığın önlenmesine ve gelişmesine katkıda bulunacaktır.--------------------Aim: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and is the most common form of dementia. It leads researchers from around the world to work on new herbal approaches. the aim of this study is to investigate the protective effects of Satureja cuneifolia, Alcea dissecta and Capparis ovata var. canescens plants on nerve cells and to determine the mechanisms of these effects. Material and Method: After the aerial parts of the plants are dried in room conditions, methanol extracts of them were prepared from powder samples by maceration. human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells were cultured. All treated SK-N-SH cells were divided into 2 groups as follows: Control group (non-treated cells), Ab1–42 group (cells treated with 0.1-10 µM Ab1–42 for 48 h). All experiments were carried out after incubation for 48 h. A quantitative colorimetric assay with MTT was used to measure cell viability. Data analysis was performed with GraphPad Prism 6.0 software. The results of the tests were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey method and given with mean ± standard deviation.Results: In our study, it was found that Satureja cuneifolia, Alcea dissecta and Capparis ovata plant extracts significantly inhibited dose-dependent amyloid toxicity n SK-N-SH cells.Conclusion: Our study will contribute to the prevention and development of the disease by offering new and effective herbal therapeutic approaches in support of current treatment of AD

Satureja kitaibelii Wierzb. ex Heuff. has a great importance in Serbian ethnopharmacology/herbal traditional medicine, as well as a flavoring food additive. Ethanol extract of aerial parts of Satureja kitaibelii analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed the presence of 18 compounds among which the most abundant were phenolic acids, flavonoids, jasmonic acid derivatives and rosmanol. The extracts were rich in total phenolics and flavonoid contents, while rosmarinic acid was the dominant compound (18.30–29.52 mg/g). As assessments of antioxidant properties of natural extracts are important because of their growing use in medicine and food industry, antioxidant activity of ethanol extracts of Satureja kitaibelii was analyzed by several assays. The half maximal scavenging capacity (SC50) of 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl ranging from 71.20 to 125.65 μg/mL, the total antioxidant capacity from 272.37 to 714.12 mg ascorbic acid/g, and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power ranging from 0.74 to 1.94 μmol Fe/mg, clearly imply a significant antioxidant potential of Satureja kitaibelii. The extracts inhibit growth of Micrococcus luteus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with inhibition zones 20–30 and 16–26 mm, respectively. Antioxidant and antibacterial activity of compounds identified in extracts suggest a great potential for Satureja kitaibelii application as valuable food ingredient.

Juniperus communis and Satureja montana essential oils (EOs) were chemically characterized and their activity against Listeria monocytogenes was evaluated. Antilisterial effect was determined in vitro and in situ, in red wine-marinated beef, where the effect against common meat contaminants (aerobic heterotrophic mesophyll bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria) was also monitored. Microdilution assay on L. monocytogenes (strain ATCC19111 and three primoisolates) showed that minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) varied in the range 0.5–1% for both EOs. Effect of EOs mixtures was monitored in checkerboard assay revealing that all types of interactions including synergism were obtained only for isolates. In vitro time kill assay confirmed the mode of interactions: synergism for isolate from beef carcass (LMB), and its absence for ATCC19111 strain. The analysis of concentration dependent growth rates showed that estimated curve MIC values were notably lower than in microdilution assay (0.03–0.14%). In situ time kill assay against inoculated L. monocytogenes (ATCC19111 and LMB strains) and pre-existing meat spoiling contaminants was performed on marinated beef using EOs concentrations that were confirmed to be sensory acceptable. Basic red wine marinades and the ones containing each EO or their combination remarkably decreased the counts of all monitored groups comparing to saline control. The most pronounced effect was obtained with the marinade containing EOs mixture. For all monitored bacteria, the bactericidal effect during marination was followed by bacteriostatic effect during subsequent meat storage. Our results demonstrate for the first time the in situ efficacy of J. communis EO against meat contaminants and provide additional data on the preservation potential of S. montana EO.

Many medicinal plant species are currently threatened in their natural habitats because of the growing demand for phytochemicals worldwide. A sustainable alternative for the production of bioactive plant compounds are plant biofactories based on cell cultures and organs. In addition, plant extracts from biofactories have significant advantages over those obtained from plants, since they are free of contamination by microorganisms, herbicides and pesticides, and they provide more stable levels of active ingredients. In this context, we report the establishment of Satureja khuzistanica cell cultures able to produce high amounts of rosmarinic acid (RA). The production of this phytopharmaceutical was increased when the cultures were elicited with coronatine and scaled up to a benchtop bioreactor. S. khuzistanica extracts enriched in RA were found to reduce the viability of cancer cell lines, increasing the sub-G0/G1 cell population and the activity of caspase-8 in MCF-7 cells, which suggest that S. khuzistanica extracts can induce apoptosis of MCF-7 cells through activation of the extrinsic pathway. In addition, our findings indicate that other compounds in S. khuzistanica extracts may act synergistically to potentiate the anticancer activity of RA.

The influence of Satureja montana extracts on several liver biochemical parameters in mice administered with carbon tetrachloride was estimated. In vivo investigation of antioxidant properties of S. montana extracts encompassed monitoring of biochemical parameters (derived from liver homogenate and blood hydrolyzate) and examination of potential hepatoprotective effect after intoxication with carbon tetrachloride. Biochemical tests included determination of activity of several antioxidant enzymes: xanthine oxidase, catalase, peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, amount of reduced glutathione and intensity of lipid peroxidation. In order to obtain data about the potent hepatoprotective effect of examined extracts, the following parameters were determined: aspartate aminotrans-ferase, alanine aminotransferase, bilirubin, hepatic DNA and hydroxyprolin. Results of this study demonstrate that S. montana extracts inhibited the hepatotoxicity produced by carbon tetrachloride administration most probably through activation of physiological common defense mechanisms.

The in vitro cytotoxic activity on human cancer cell lines of sixteen commercial EOs such as Aloysia citriodora, Boswellia sacra, Boswellia serrata, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cistus ladanifer, Citrus × aurantium, Citrus limon, Citrus sinensis, Cymbopogon citratus, Foeniculum vulgare, Illicium verum, Litsea cubeba, Satureja montana, Syzygium aromaticum, Thymus capitatus and Thymus vulgaris was performed using the MTT reduction assay. The screening was carried out on human cancer cells of breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7, T47D and MDA-MB-231), chronic myelogenous erythroleukemia (K562) and neuroblastoma cell lines (SH-SY5Y). C. zeylanicum and L. cubeba EOs were the most active on almost all the cell lines studied and thus could be promising as an anticancer agent. These two species showed a difference in their composition even though they belong to the Lauraceae family. Almost 57 % of the true cinnamon composition was made of (E)-cinnamaldehyde, while L. cubeba showed citral as the major compound (68.9 %). The K562 cells were the most sensitive to these oils with an IC50 ranging from 5.2 parts-per million (ppm) (C. zeylanicum) to 11.1 ppm (L. cubeba). The latter oil also showed an important cytotoxicity on MDA-MB-231 (13.4 ppm).

Species of the Lamiaceae family have enjoyed a rich tradition of use for flavoring, food preservation, and medicinal purposes, due to their curative and preventive properties. Cultivated winter savory ( Satureja montana L.), sage ( Salvia officinalis L.) and hyssop ( Hyssopus officinalis L.) are produced for seed, herb, and essential oil. Dominant compounds in S. montana essential oil were carvacrol (43.2%) and thymol (28.4%), while cis -thujone (27.1%) and camphor (19.3%), followed by trans -thujone and 1,8-cineole were the major compounds in S. officinalis essential oil. As for H. officinalis essential oil, cis - and trans -pinocamphone (41.1% and 20.5%, respectively) were the most abundant compounds, followed by β-pinene. The highest antimicrobial properties, as well as antioxidant capacity, showed S. montana essential oil compared to other tested essential oils. Furthermore, H. officinalis essential oils showed higher antioxidant activity than that of S. officinalis . The aim of this investigation was to determine the composition and bioactivity of essential oils of mentioned varieties. Presented results show that S. montana essential oil could be proposed as a valuable source of natural preservatives.

The effect of Satureja montana L. extract (SM) and phenolic fraction of Satureja montana L. (PF) on the corrosion behaviour of iron in 0.1 mol L-1 sodium chloride solution was studied by electrochemical techniques, UV/Vis spectrophotometry and atomic absorption spectrometry. The results of all techniques showed that SM and PF contributed to iron corrosion inhibition. The calculated inhibition efficiency values were about 45% for SM and 55% for PF. Results indicate that the inhibitive action occurs via a precipitation of the Fe-complex onto the iron surface which resulting in a decrease of the passive current density. The atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) method was applied to the quantitative determination of iron in solution. The obtained results demonstrated good agreement with results obtained by electrochemical techniques.

Wounds are prone to bacterial infections, which cause a delayed healing process. Regarding the emergence of bacterial resistance to common antibiotics, using natural antimicrobial agents can be beneficial. Chitosan is a biological polymer, which has shown partial antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. In this study, core-shell nanofibrous scaffolds composed of chitosan (CS)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the core and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/ maltodextrin (MD) as the shell were developed. Satureja mutica (S. mutica) or Oliveria decumbens (O. decumbens) essential oil (EO) was encapsulated into the core of the produced scaffolds. The broth microdilution analysis showed significant antimicrobial activity of the EOs. The SEM analysis indicated that the unloaded and loaded core-shell scaffolds with S. mutica or O. decumbens EO had a uniform, beadless structure with fiber mean diameters of 210 ± 50, 250 ± 45, and 225 ± 46 nm, respectively. The CS/PVA-PVP/MD and CS/PVA/EO-PVP/MD scaffolds indicated suitable mechanical properties. The addition of the studied EOs enhanced the antioxidant activity of the scaffolds. The antimicrobial test of produced scaffolds showed that loading of 10% S. mutica or O. decumbens EO could broaden the microbicidal activity of the CS/PVA-PVP/MD scaffolds. These results revealed that the CS/PVA/EO-PVP/MD nanofibrous scaffolds are promising candidates for wound dressing.

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) species (Glomus intraradices and G. mosseae), nitrogen (N) fertilizer and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on growth characteristics, essential oil (EO) content, nutrient uptake and components of medicinal plants basil (Ocimum basilicum) and satureja (Satureja hortensis) were studied. The use of these fertilizers significantly (P < 0.05) increased plant height, root length, fresh and dry weights of shoots and roots, number of shoot branches and number of inflorescences per plant, EO content, phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), iron (Fe), potassium (K), and copper (Cu) content. Moreover, application of AMF and PGPR significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced linalol, methyl chavicol, trans-geraniol, camphor and limonene concentrations in basil EO and carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene, α-terpinene and γ-terpinene in satureja EO components. G. mosseae application achieved the highest increases in basil and satureja EO percentage by 39 % and 25 %, respectively, compared to plants treated with mineral fertilizer, and 80 % and 50 %, respectively, compared to unfertilized plants. The highest N, K, Fe and P concentrations in basil and satureja were obtained when PGPR or G. mosseae were used. This study shows that application of biofertilizers not only improves yields in medicinal plants, but they also play a significant role in increasing their bioactive compounds and plant nutrition.

Candidal vaginitis has a relatively high prevalence, and its resistance to treatment is on the rise. Considering the complications of chemical drugs, the use of herbal medicines has now been favored due to the lack of changes in the normal vaginal flora. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of

Essential oils (EOs) have aroused attention among the naturally-occurring therapeutic compounds with anti-infective properties. This study examined the chemical composition and the antibacterial potential of EOs from three Lamiaceae species including Ocimum gratissimum (leaves), Plecthrantus epilithicus (leaves), and Satureja robusta (leaves and flowers). EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus, followed by characterization by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and flame ionization detector (GC/FID). The antibacterial efficacy of EOs was screened using the microdilution method, against a panel of eight foodborne bacteria isolates namely Enterobacter cloacae, Yersinia enterocolotica, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii, Shigella flexneri, and Enterococcus faecalis. GC-MS and GC/FID analysis led to the identification of 53 components from EOs of P. epilithicus, while around forty compounds have been characterized from the EOs of O. gratissimum (43), leaves of Satureja robusta (43), and flowers of S. robusta (44). The nature of identified compounds varied according to the species. The most prevalent volatile compounds identified in the EOs of P. epilithicus were piperitenone oxide (23.65%) and two isomers piperitone oxide 2/2 (16.15%) and piperitone oxide 1/2 (7.24%). The major constituents in the EOs of leaves of O. gratissimum were elemicin (33.474%) and eugenol (30.258%). Piperitone oxide, piperitone, and germacrene D were identified as major constituents in both the EOs of leaves of S. robusta (28.3%, 15.14%, and 9.42% respectively) and flowers (45.6%, 11.55%, and 3.94% respectively). The oils displayed selective antibacterial potential, with the recorded minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.0156 to 1% (v/v). EOs of P. epilithicus as well as that of the leaves and flowers of S. robusta acted against all studied bacteria. Most of the MIC values were below 0.25% (v/v), indicating a strong inhibitory potential of studied EOs. The present study provides a strong baseline for consideration of the EOs from O. gratissimum, S. robusta, and P. epilithicus in the control of bacterial foodborne infections.

The effects of winter savory essential oil (EO) and supercritical extracts (first extract 100 bar, 40 °C – SF1, second extract 300 bar, 40 °C – SF2) on oxidative stability of precooked and cold-stored (at 4 °C for 6 days) pork chops were analyzed. Winter savory showed a significant protective effect towards lipid oxidation which occurs during the cooking process. EO and SF1 showed almost the same potential of lipid oxidation inhibition throughout the whole storage period, being higher comparing to SF2. At the end of storage period the TBARS values were 2.42, 1.66, 1.48, 2.06 mg MDA/kg for control, EO, SF1 and SF2, respectively. Also, EO and SF1 showed better antioxidant potential against protein oxidation comparing to SF2. The lowest colour change at the end of storage was determined for SF1 sample. Samples EO and SF1 had better scores for sensory rancidity; where EO had more pronounced odour and flavour of winter savory and SF1 had lower impact in changing dominant aroma, but preserved aroma of cooked meat. Hence, extracts obtained by supercritical fluid extraction, as natural and environmentally friendly technology, could be used to prolong shelf-life of precooked pork.

Foods provide a natural and perfect medium for bacteria and fungi to multiply and growth. Awareness of people of synthetic additives and preservatives in food processing has led food industries to search for natural additives with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities. The chemical compositions of the essential oils (EOs) distilled from three Satureja spp. have been analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antimicrobial activities of the EOs against microorganisms causing food-borne infections were determined by the broth micro-dilution method as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Analysis of the EOs showed that phenolic compound including thymol and carvacrol are the main components of the EOs. Inhibition studies indicated that the tested EOs entirely inhibited the growth of tested fungi at concentrations of less than 0.062 μl/mL. Moreover, the oils exhibited significant bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities against Gram-positiv...

Aim: The biopotential of the essential oils of the Greek aromatic plants Satureja thymbra and Satureja parnassica were investigated, together with their major components carvacrol, thymol, γ-terpinene and p-cymene. \ud \ud Materials and Methods: Antioxidant and cancer cell cytotoxic properties were determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and sulforhodamine B assays, respectively. The antiproliferative potential was studied against the MCF-7, A549, HepG2 and Hep3B cell lines. \ud \ud Results: S. thymbra oil possessed stronger antioxidant and antiproliferative capacity when tested on MCF-7 cells compared to S. parnassica oil. Thymol exhibited two-fold greater antioxidant potency than carvacrol, whereas γ-terpinene and p-cymene had no significant effect. Carvacrol was the most potent antiproliferative agent against A549 cells, while Hep3B cells were most sensitive to thymol. p-Cymene and γ-terpinene demonstrated negligible bioactivity. \ud \ud Conclusion: S. thymbra and S. parnassica essential oils exhibit significant but diverse antioxidant and antiproliferative activities, mainly attributed to their main components, carvacrol and thymol.

The aim of this work was to assess the inhibitory effect of essential oils on the growth and aflatoxin production of Aspergillus parasiticus, as well as to correlate it with the chemical composition of the essential oils. Essential oils from six aromatic species (Cymbopogon citratus, Eucalyptus globulus, Origanum vulgare, Ruta graveolens, Salvia officinalis, Satureja montana) were characterised by gas chromatography and tested for their inhibitory effect against A. parasiticus strain MUM 92.02. Furthermore, the in vitro inhibitory effects of these essential oils on the production of aflatoxins were evaluated by HPLC. Results showed that all essential oils retarded the time for visible growth. Growth rate was affected differently depending on the essential oil. S. montana essential oil prevented growth in all cases. The essential oil of R. graveolens inhibited most of the aflatoxin production even though growth inhibition was low, while with C. citratus essential oil trace levels of aflatoxins were detected. Essential oils containing carvacrol and/or thymol (S. montana and O. vulgare) have the highest activity against fungal growth, while an essential oil (R. graveolens) containing 2-undecanone and 8-phenyl-2-octanone inhibited the synthesis of aflatoxins. Although the main component of this essential oil was 2-undecanone (91%), when pure 2-undecanone was tested, it did not inhibit aflatoxin production. Inhibition activity is probably due to the recently identified minor compound or to a synergistic effect. Essential oils seem to be a good alternative to fungicides not only because of environmental issues but also because they do not seem to enhance mycotoxin production as it has been reported for some fungicides.

Drosophila suzukii is recognized as an economically important pest in North America and Europe as well as Asia. Assessments were made of fumigant and contact toxicities of 12 Lamiaceae plant essential oils (EOs) and their components. The possible mode of action of the major components of the active EOs was pursued by evaluating their activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) of D. suzukii. Among the EOs tested, effective fumigant activity was observed with EOs of Mentha piperita and Perilla frutescens. Menthone and menthol, and perilla aldehyde were identified as major components of M. piperita and P. frutescens, respectively. LD50 (mg/L) values of M. piperita, P. frutescens, menthone, menthol and perilla aldehyde was 3.87, 2.44, 5.76, 1.88, and 0.99 against males and 4.10, 3.31, 5.13, 1.94, and 1.15 against females, respectively. EOs of Satureja montana and Thymus zygis showed effective contact toxicity. Thymol, carvacrol, and p-cymene were the most major components of these two EOs. LD50 (μg/fly) values for contact toxicity of S. montana, T. zygis, thymol, and carvacrol were 2.95, 2.93, 1.63, and 1.30 for male, and 4.59, 5.09, 2.68 and 2.60 for female, respectively. p-Cymene was not effective in contact toxicity. Fumigant and contact toxicities of the effective EOs and their major compounds were compared with those of two commercial insecticides. Among the 6 major components which showed fumigant and contact toxicity, perilla aldehyde showed most active inhibition against AChE of both sexes of SWD. Our result indicated that Lamiaceae plant EOs and their components can be used as alternatives to conventional insecticides.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of ultrasonic pretreatment (US + HD) of Prangos ferulacea Lindl. and Satureja macrosiphonia Bornm. leaves prior to hydrodistillation (HD). The two plants differed in their secretory structures, internal and external structures, respectively. Extraction kinetics, chemical composition, physical and biological properties of the essential oils was evaluated. Although applying ultrasound pretreatment resulted in a faster extraction process, no significant difference was observed between the yields. Similar main components in essential oils including p-cymene, limonene, (E)-beta-ocimene, terpinolene, and 2,3,6-trimethylbenzaldehyde for P. ferulacea and cis-sabinene hydrate, linalool, borneol, and terpinene-4-ol for S. macrosiphonia were observed, regardless of applying sonication or not. However, a selective extraction of limonene (P. ferulacea) and linalool (S. macrosiphonia) was a direct result of 15 min indirect sonicatin of plant materials prior to hydrodistillation. Ultrasonic pretreatment not only had no adverse effect on biological properties of extracted essential oils but also in case of pre-treated P. ferulacea improved antioxidant activity. Generally, this study indicates that ultrasonic pretreatment of plant materials resulted in accelerating the essential oil extraction process and producing an essential oil with superior characteristics. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Satureja bachtiarica Bunge. belonging to the family Lamiaceae is an important folkloric medicinal plant in Fars province, South western Iran. In this study, essential oil constituents, phenolic content, antioxidant and antibacterial activities from the aerial parts of S. bachtiarica collected from different natural habitats of Fars province were investigated. The essential oil of all samples was extracted by hydro-distillation using Clevenger type apparatus and analyzed using GC and GC-MS. The main chemical constituents were carvacrol (54.95-65.48 %), thymol (12-15.70 %), γ-terpinene (4.55-13.55 %), p-cymene (1.39-5 %), E-caryophyllene (2.22-4.82 %), linalool (2.34-4.09 %) and borneol (1.25-3.64 %). The total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts were determined with the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent and by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, respectively. Total phenols varied from 38.38 to 4...

The stability of carnosic acid (CA, an important abietane ferruginol-type diterpene, with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-mutagenic properties) exposed to different stress conditions (daylight, high temperatures, different solvents, and humidity) was investigated. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to analyse the degraded samples. Structural identification of degradation products was assigned based upon MS fragmentation patterns. The stability experiments were performed on pure CA (96% purity) as well as on commercially-available rosemary extract (containing 50.27% of CA and 5.65% of a diterpene lactone carnosol-C). For the extraction of target compounds three different techniques were compared: ultrasonic extraction (UE), Soxhlet (SE) and microwave extraction (MWE). It was shown that CA always occurs in combination with C, which is produced by oxidation and ring closure from CA, but with UE transformation of CA into C was minimal and constant when compared to SE or MWE. CA dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF) remained stable for at least 5 h at room temperature. After a certain time, under all tested conditions, the concentration of CA lowered as a result of the formation of degradation products such as C, rosmanol, 12- O -methyl-CA, 6,7-de-hydro-CA, 7-keto-CA and other unidentified degradants. In comparison to the solid state, the degradation of CA dissolved in organic solvents (THF and ethanol) was significantly faster. In general, protic solvents lead to faster degradation of CA. Only extremely high temperatures (200–300 °C) and long-term exposure to light and humidity (6 months) caused the degradation of CA in powdered samples. The GC–MS method described was also used for determination of CA and C in five different species of the Lamiaceae family ( Rosmarinus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L., Satureja Montana L., Salvia sclarea L., and Salvia glutinosa L.).

Plant density is an important factor in determining the microenvironment in the agricultural and plant production systems. This study examined the effects of different planting densities (25×60 cm, 25×70 cm, 25×80 cm, 35×60 cm, 35×70 cm, 35×80 cm, 45×60 cm, 45×70 cm, and 45×80 cm) on agromorphological parameters and essential oil production of Satureja khuzestanica Jamzad, in 2 growing years. The essential oils were isolated from aerial flowering parts of the plants by hydrodistillation method and subjected to GC and GC-MS analyses to determine the constituents. The mean total two years of growth results indicated that the plant dry weight increased with decreasing density. The highest and the lowest leaf + inflorescence yield per unit area were obtained in the highest and the lowest planting density, respectively. Also, results showed that the 18 compositions were identified in essential oil of S. khuzestanica plants under all employed treatments. In general, essential oil percentage was increase...

Ethnopharmacological relevance Oral candidiasis is an opportunistic infection of the oral cavity which usually occurs in the immunocompromised individuals. Candida albicans (C. albicans) is the most common species of yeast responsible for oral candidiasis. This study investigated the effects of Satureja hortensis L. essentiall oil (EO) on the planktonic, biofilm formation and mature biofilms of C. albicans isolates from buccal lesions of HIV+ individuals. Materials and methods MTT reduction assay, broth micro-dilution method and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to determine the effect of mentioned EO on the C. albicans planktonic and biofilm forms. GC-GC/MS was used to detect the major active compounds of EO. Results Thymol (45.9%), gamma-terpinen (16.71%), carvacrol (12.81%) and p-cymene (9.61%) were found as the most abundant constituents. MIC values ranged from 250 to 400 μg/ml and MFC values ranged from 350 to 500 μg/ml. All C. albicans isolates formed biofilm on polystyrene plats but the quantity of biofilm mass (optical density) was different for the isolates ranging from 0.850 to 0.559 nm. The mean of biofilm formation by C. albicans isolates was reduced by 87.1 ± 3.7%, 73.6 ± 5.1%, 69.4 ± 5.3% and 67 ± 4.2% at 4800, 3200, 2400 and 1600 μg/ml, respectively. In sub-MIC concentration, SEM analysis revealed loosening of cells, deformity of three dimensional structures of biofilms and shrinkage in cell membranes of sessile cells. Conclusions In conclusion, the substantial anti-fungal activity showed by S. hortensis L. EO suggests exploitation of this oil as potential natural anti-biofilm product to deal with the problem of buccal cavity lesion associated with C. albicans.

The effects of diets containing different levels of essential oils from savory Satureja khuzestanica Jamzad and myrtle Myrtus communis L and an immunity complement were investigated on growth, survival, nutritional indices, serum biochemistry, and hematology of farmed rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, fry (n = 4500; 5 ± 2 g). The essential oils were dosed as 300 and 500 mg/kg diet. After 60 d, the fish fed 300 mg/kg of the essential oils showed the highest counts of white blood cells (P < 0.05). The same treatment revealed the greatest levels of hematocrit, total protein, and albumin, but glucose and cholesterol values significantly decreased compared with the control (P < 0.05). Feeding fish with 300 mg/kg of the essential oils led to highest records of specific growth rate and survival rate but the lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR), and those fed with immunity complement attained the lowest values of growth parameters. The fry fed with immunity complement and 300 mg/kg of myrtle essential oil achieved the highest and lowest FCR values, respectively. The results indicate that dietary supplementation of 300 mg/kg of the above essential oils exert positive impacts on the growth performance, feeding efficiency, and hematological factors in O. mykiss.

Nowadays, usage of pesticides is one of the primary methods in aphids control and have an important role in pest control, but improper use of them are causing adverse effects on non-target organisms and the environment. Essential oils due to volatility and very short-term persistence in the environment, as biocompatible pesticides can be considered as one of the alternatives to chemical pesticides in aphid’s control. This study was conducted to determine the insecticidal activity and nymph production deterrent of three essential oils from Savory, Satureja isophylla Rech., Cinnamon, Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume. and Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare Mill. against Brevicoryne brassica L. and the black aphid, Aphis fabae Scop. (Hemiptera: Aphididae) under laboratory conditions 25 ± 2°C, 65 ± 5% RH and 16L:8D photoperiods. Mortality was evaluated at different concentrations that ranging from 0.71 to 282.35 μL/L air, and with 6 replications at the interim of 24 hours. The results showed that essential oils hav...

Satureja khuzestanica has numerous proven biological properties. This study was carried out to determine the amount of carvacrol in the industrial and laboratory essential oils of the wild and cultivated S. khuzestanica, and investigate their antibacterial properties. The essential oil of the cultivated S. khuzestanica was prepared industrially in the Khorraman Pharmaceutical Company, and the essential oils of the cultivated and wild S. khuzestanica were extracted in the laboratory using the Hydrodistillation method. Identifying and determining the amount of carvacrol were performed using the gas chromatography (GC) equipment. The microbroth dilution method was applied to evaluate the antibacterial properties of the essential oils. Carvacrol was the main component of the plant, and its amounts were found to be 96.9 % (the highest level of carvacrol reported so far) for the essential oil of the wild S. khuzestanica taken in the laboratory, 90.6 % for the essential oil of the cultivated S. khuzestan...

Copigmentation of anthocyanins accounts for over 30% of fresh red wine color, while during storage, the color of polymeric pigments formed between anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins predominates. Rosmarinic acid and natural extracts rich in hydroxycinnamic acids, obtained from aromatic plants (Origanum vulgare and Satureja thymbra), were examined as cofactors to fresh Merlot wine and the effect on anthocyanin copigmentation and wine color was studied during storage for 6months. An increase of the copigmented anthocyanins that enhanced color intensity by 15-50% was observed, confirming the ability of complex hydroxycinnamates to form copigments. The samples with added cofactors retained higher percentages of copigmented anthocyanins and higher color intensity, compared to the control wine, up to 3 months. However, the change in the equilibrium between monomeric and copigmented anthocyanins that was induced by added cofactors, did not affect the rate of polymerization reactions during storage.

Wstęp: Kiełkowanie nasion jest złożonym procesem fizjologicznym regulowanym przez czynniki genetyczne i środowiskowe, w tym temperaturę, wodę, tlen, światło i pH. Wśród nich, temperatura jest jednym z najważniejszych czynników wpływających na maksymalną szybkość i procent kiełkowania diaspor. Cel: W niniejszej pracy określono temperatury główne (Tb, To, Tc) kiełkowania nasion dla czterech gatunków cząbru występujących w Iranie. Metody: Nasiona Satureja mutica Fish. et C. A. Mey., S. macrantha C. A. Mey., S. sahandica Bornm i S. bachtiarica Bunge inkubowano w dziewięciu stałych temperaturach (od 0 do 40°C), w przedziałach co 5°C. Wykonano doświadczenie czynnikowe w układzie całkowicie losowym z czterema powtórzeniami, a dla określenia temperatur głównych zastosowano trzy modele regresji: segmentową regresję liniową (ISL), wielomianu kwadratowego (QPN) oraz regresję pięcioparametrową (FPB). Wyniki: Najwyższy procent kiełkowania (GP)odnotowano w temperaturze 20°C, odpowiednio: u S. mutica (86%), S. macrantha (55%), S. sahandica (81%) i S. bachtiarica (89%). Z wyjątkiem S. sahandica, nie stwierdzono jednak istotnej różnicy między 20 a 25°C. Kiełkowanie ustało w 0°C i w 40°C. Najwyższa zdolność kiełkowania (GR), najkrótszy średni czas kiełkowania (MGT) oraz czas kiełkowania 50% nasion (D50) obserwowano przy 20-25°C u wszystkich gatunków. Zdolność kiełkowania diaspor S. bachtiarica była istotnie (p≤0.05) wyższa niż u trzech pozostałych gatunków we wszystkich analizowanych temperaturach. Żaden z gatunków nie osiągnął 50% kiełkowania w temperaturach wyższych niż 30°C. Wnioski: Uzyskane wyniki pokazały przewagę S. bachtiarica nad innymi gatunkami, a S. macrantha charakteryzowała się najniższymi parametrami opisującymi kiełkowanie. Modele FPB i ISL najdokładniej przewidywały poziom temperatur głównych, ze względu na wyższą wartość współczynnika determinacji R2 i niższą wartość średniej kwadratowej błędów (RMSE). We wszystkich trzech modelach najniższe i najwyższe temperatury główne (Tb, To, Tc) zanotowano odpowiednio u S. macrantha i S. mutica.

Summary Introduction Seed germination is a complex physiological process regulated by genetic and environmental factors including temperature, water, oxygen, light and pH. Among them, temperature is one of the most important factors controlling the maximum rate and percentage of diaspore germination. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the cardinal temperatures (Tb, To, Tc) of four Satureja species growing in Iran. Methods: Seeds of Satureja mutica Fish. et C. A. Mey., S. macrantha C. A. Mey., S. sahandica Bornm and S. bachtiarica Bunge were germinated at nine constant temperatures (from 0 to 40°C) with 5°C intervals. A factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with four replications was applied to determine the cardinal temperatures estimated by three regression models including intersected-lines (ISL), quadratic polynomial (QPN) and five-parameters beta (FPB). Results: The highest germination percentage (GP) occurred at 20°C for S. mutica (86%), S. macrantha (55%), S. sahandica (81%) and S. bachtiarica (89%), but there was no significant difference between 20 and 25°C, except S. sahandica. Germination stopped at 0°C and 40°C. The highest germination rate (GR), the lowest mean germination time (MGT) and time to 50% germination (D50) were obtained at 20-25°C for all species. The GRm for S. bachtiarica was significantly (p≤0.05) higher than for three other species in all temperatures. None of the species did reach to 50% germination at temperatures higher than 30°C. Conclusion: Obtained results revealed the superiority of S. bachtiarica over the other species, v.s. S. macrantha was inferior. FPB and ISL models were most reliable for predicting cardinal temperatures, because of higher R2 value and the lower root mean square error (RMSE). S. macrantha and S. mutica showed the lowest and the highest cardinal temperatures, respectively, in all three models.

Many members of the genus Satureja have aromatic and medicinal characteristics. Satureja hortensis L. (Lamiaceae) is an Iranian species of Satureja which is well known in Iranian traditional medicine as a remedy for various ailments. In this study, antitumor activity of the essential oil and methanolic extract of S. hortensis was investigated. For antitumor activity tests, a potato disc tumor inhibition method was exploited. Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil and methanolic extract was also studied by a broth microdilution method and MIC values were determined. The methanolic extract exhibited antitumor activity in a concentration dependent manner but the tumor inhibitory effect was significant (> 20 %) at 1 mg/ml and higher. The IC value of the extract was 1.8 mg/ml. The essential oil exhibited tumor growth inhibition (100 %) at dilutions of 0.001 and 0.0001 (v/v). These results demonstrated that S. hortensis has beneficial effects by inhibition of tumor growth on potato discs, which is ...

The effect of different matrix pretreatment of winter savory(Satureja montana L.) on the supercritical CO2(SC-CO2) extraction - yield, composition and antimicrobial activity of extracts and essential oil (EO) was investigated. Herb matrix was submitted to conventional mechanical grinding, physical disruption by fast decompression of supercritical and subcritical CO2 and physical disruption by mechanical compression. The analyses of the essential oil obtained by SC-CO2 extraction and hydrodistillation were done by GC/FID method. Major compounds in winter savory EO obtained by SC-CO2 extraction and hydrodistillation were: thymol (30.4-35.4% and 35.3%), carvacrol (11.5-14.1% and 14.1%), ?-terpinene (10.2-11.4% and 9.1%) and p-cymene (8.3-10.1% and 8.6%), respectively. The gained results revealed that physical disruption of essential oils glands by fast CO2 decompression in supercritical region (FDS) achieved the highest essential oil yield as well as highest content of thymol, carvacrol and thymoquinone. Antimicrobial activity of obtained winter savory SC-CO2 extracts was the same (FDS) or weaker compared to essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation.

Genotoxic properties of the essential oils extracted from Artemisia dracunculus (tarragon), Ocimum basilicum (basil), Cinnamomum loureirii (cinnamon), Laurus nobilis (laurel), Satureja montana (savory) and Rosmarinus officinallis (rosemary) are studied by Drosophila melanogaster Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART). The high bioactivation crossed with a high cytochrome P450-dependent bioactivation capacity is used. This assay is principally based on the loss of heterozygosity of the suitable recessive markers’ multiple wing hairs (mwh) and flare-3 (flr3) which can lead to the formation of mutant clones of larval cells, and which are then going to be expressed as spots on the wings of adult flies. Third-instar larvae are treated for 48 hr with different concentrations of the essential oils dissolved in Tween-80 at 0.2% or 2%. The wings of the emerging adults are analyzed for the occurrence of different types of mutant spots. No statistically significant differences in spot frequencies between negative controls and treated series are observed. These results suggest that the six essential oils at concentrations tested are not genotoxic towards somatic cells of D. melanogaster.

The economy in Serbia has not been working at its full capacity for a long time, which had left a great mark in economic stability of the country. The good side is that the environment pollution is less than in case of its full capacity. Therefore there shouldn't try to achieve the developed technologies at all costs, but it should orient to the utmost to agriculture and food production. Economically high developed countries pay a lot of attention to the healthy way of life and nutrition, and therefore the market, on which would sell the food products from Serbia, are with characteristic brand and undoubtable quality. Owing to the expressed trend for the healthy way of living, more and more people in high developed countries turn to aromatic and medicinal herbs which they use as spices, for therapeutic or medicinal purposes. Such trend shows also various industry branches, and they increasingly base their production on natural products. Hereof the aromatic and medicinal herbs start being more and more important economic resource of those countries which have them.

Extracellular deposition of Beta-amyloid peptide (Aβ) is the main finding in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which damages cholinergic neurons through oxidative stress and reduces the cholinergic neurotransmission. Satureja bachtiarica is a medicinal plant from the Lamiaceae family which was widely used in Iranian traditional medicine. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible protective effects of S. bachtiarica methanolic extract on Aβ induced spatial memory impairment in Morris Water Maze (MWM), oxidative stress and cholinergic neuron degeneration. Pre- aggregated Aβ was injected into the hippocampus of each rat bilaterally (10 μg/rat) and MWM task was performed 14 days later to evaluate learning and memory function. Methanolic extract of S.bachtiarica (10, 50 and 100 mg/Kg) was injected intraperitoneally for 19 consecutive days, after Aβ injection. After the probe test the brain tissue were collected and lipid peroxidation, Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and Cholin Acetyl Transferees (ChAT) immunorectivity were measured in the hippocampus. Intrahipocampal injection of Aβ impaired learning and memory in MWM in training days and probe trail. Methanolic extract of S. bachtiarica (50 and 100 mg/Kg) could attenuate Aβ-induced memory deficit. ChAT immunostaining revealed that cholinergic neurons were loss in Aβ- injected group and S. bachtiarica (100 mg/Kg) could ameliorate Aβ- induced ChAT reduction in the hippocampus. Also S. bachtiarica could ameliorate Aβ-induced lipid peroxidation and AChE activity increase in the hippocampus. In conclusion our study represent that S.bachtiarica methanolic extract can improve Aβ-induced memory impairment and cholinergic loss then we recommended this extract as a candidate for further investigation in treatment of AD.

In this investigation, the effect of polyethylene film covered with essential oils of thyme and savory in order to control the lipid oxidation of rainbow trout fillet during short-term refrigerated storage was studied. Sensory and lipid quality indices were assessed in 3 day intervals and compared with control samples. The hydrolytic corruption was limited using essential oils in the packaging films. The higher values of conjugated diene in control samples showed further development of lipid deterioration. After covering the film with essential oils of thyme and savory, increasing the primary products of lipid oxidation was inhibited, respectively, until days 12 and 15. The secondary lipid oxidation product rate was limited after using essential oils in packaging films. Using essential oils, the taste and overall acceptance of the product were enhanced. During the storage period, the value of sensory evaluating indices was decreased in all samples while the change rate progressed much more in control samples. Practical Applications Covering of polyethylene film with essential oils of thyme (Thymus daenensis Celak) and savory (Satureja bachtiarica Bunge) for lipid oxidation control in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fillets during short-term storage in the refrigerator.