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International audience; This study investigated 25 Tunisian plant species of 13 families based on their oil and total phenolic contents. The fatty acid profiles and antioxidant activity of phenolic extracts of these plant seeds were studied in order to identify species containing unusual fatty acids and potential antioxidants. The oil content varied from 4.2 to 66.5% of DW (Dry Weight). Fatty acid profiles were determined using gas chromatography analysis coupled to flame ionization detection and high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-FID and GC-HRMS). The results showed that plant seeds were mostly composed of classic fatty acids (palmitic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids), while unusual fatty acids such as long-chain and odd-chain fatty acids were minor components. However, the petro-selinic acid was the major component of Apiaceae family seed oil, particularly in Pimpinella saxifraga and Pimpinella major. The phenolic content of seed methanolic extracts, measured by Folin-Ciocalteu assay, varied between 30 and 4700 mg GAE/100 g DW. The methanolic extracts exhibited a broad range of antioxidant activity , varying from 13 to 17,000 mg TEAC/100 g DW in the DPPH assay. In the ABTS assay, the antioxidant activity values similarly varied from 4 to 18,100 mg TEAC/100 g DW. The seeds of Apium graveolens, Anethum graveolens, Pimpinella saxifraga and Lepidium sativum had high oil content, interesting fatty acid profiles and their methanolic extracts displayed high antioxidant capacities. This investigation of Tunisian plants showed the potentialities of several species that could be scale-up cultivated for commercial purposes.

Summary A preference hierarchy of the oligophagous carrot fly for 30 umbelliferous host-plant species or varieties and six non-hosts was assessed. Foliage of the test plants was presented to a laboratory population of the fly in oviposition choice experiments together with leaves of a standard plant, the susceptible carrot cultivar “Danvers”. Only two species (Anthriscus cerefolium, Carum carvi) were more acceptable than the standard plant, while about half the species received significantly fewer eggs. Some umbellifers (Anethum graveolens, Pimpinella major) had a low acceptability similar to that of non-hosts (non-umbelliferous plants). The results obtained with dual and multiple choice assays were in agreement. A multiple choice assay with potted plants yielded a similar ranking of the species as assays using detached leaves, indicating that foliage is representative for whole plants. Variability in the exploratory runs performed by the females on the leaves prior to egg-laying is described and quantified for hosts and non-hosts. Differences in post-alighting pre-ovipositional behaviour of the female flies on the leaves accounted for a major part of the variation recorded in egg-laying.

Summary Several apiaceous and two asteraceous species were tested for their suitability to support larval development of the carrot fly. Plants grown in pots or transplanted from seed beds into pots, were inoculated with a specific number of eggs. Pupae and non-pupated larvae were collected 6–7 wk after inoculation. Both the number and weights of pupae produced varied widely among the species. Cultivated carrots Daucus carota sativus often gave rise to only moderate numbers of pupae, but these invariably attained the highest weights. Pimpinella major was the only apiaceous plant tested that did not yield any carrot flies. The two asteraceous plants Cichorium intybus and Tanacetum vulgare failed to support larval development. Total carrot fly biomass produced per plant was influenced by both the host species and the root weight. Emergence rates of adult flies were positively correlated with pupal weights. Small individuals tended to have a longer total developmental time from egg to adult fly.

Foliage of twelve host and two non-host species and surrogate leaves treated with the respective leaf extracts were presented to laboratory populations of the carrot fly (Psila rosae) in oviposition choice assays. The stimulatory activity of dichloromethane surface extracts and the diethyl ether fraction of hot water extracts did not reflect accurately the differences in acceptability observed among intact leaves. A better correlation was found using hexane extracts prepared in a microwave oven. Two out of five fractions of this crude hexane extract obtained by silica gel column chromatography stimulated oviposition. The diethyl ether fraction, which contained the previously identified oviposition stimulants (propenylbenzenes, furanocoumarins, polyacetylenes), could account for only a minor part of the variation in the acceptability of host leaves. The preference hierarchy for intact leaves corresponded better to the ranking of species according to activity of the methanolic fraction, which apparently contains unknown stimulatory compounds.¶ The water fractions of the hot water extracts were shown to reduce egg-laying underneath surrogate leaves treated with a stimulatory extract. This oviposition-deterring effect was particularly strong with the non-preferred species Pimpinella major, which is also highly resistant in the field. Hence, unidentified inhibitory compounds may also contribute to differential accept ability of host plants. It is concluded that antixenotic (non-preference) resistance of host plants to carrot fly attack depends on complex mixtures of semiochemicals.

Seven species of plants from the families Umbelliferae, Rutaceae, and Leguminosae known or suspected to cause photophytodermatitis were quantitatively analyzed for psoralen, 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP, xanthotoxin), and 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP, bergapten). The leaves of all species contained these coumarins, which were also found on the leaf surface, but both the concentrations and the proportions varied greatly. In the interior of the leaves the highest total was in Angelica archangelica, followed by Psoralea bituminosa, both of which are species with severe toxicity, and the lowest in Levisticum officinale (lovage). On the leaf surface, in contrast, the highest total was in P. bituminosa, followed by Pimpinella major. The sum of the surface concentrations, while low in absolute terms, was in some cases a substantial percentage (as high as 24%) of the total in the plant, although there was great variation among species. For individual coumarins this value was sometimes much higher, for example, 60...

Unorganized callus and leaf/root-differentiating callus cultures of Pimpinella major have been established in liquid nutrient medium. Their capacity to accumulate rare phenylpropanoids such as epoxy-pseudoisoeugenol tiglate, epoxy-anol tiglate and anol tiglate was compared with that of seedlings and whole plants. The unorganized callus cultures were not able to accumulate any phenylpropanoids. In comparison, the leaf/root-differentiating callus culture promoted the accumulation of epoxy-pseudoisoeugenol tiglate (up to 90 mg/100 g fr.wt.) but not that of anol-derivatives. The accumulated amount of EPT in PMD-SH was comparable with that in plant seedlings.

Pimpinella magna Linnaeus, Mantissa Plantarum Altera: 219. 1771, nom. illeg. "Habitat in Europa australiore." RCN: 2103. Replaced synonym: Pimpinella major Huds. (1762). Type not designated. Current name: Pimpinella major (L.) Huds. (Apiaceae). Note: An illegitimate replacement name for Pimpinella major Huds. (1762)., Published as part of Jarvis, Charlie, 2007, Chapter 7: Linnaean Plant Names and their Types (part P), pp. 718-782 in Order out of Chaos. Linnaean Plant Types and their Types, London :Linnaean Society of London in association with the Natural History Museum on page 743, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.291971

Seeds of 10 members of the Umbelliferae were sown separately into plots of unmanaged turf in October 1984. Emergence was monitored at frequent intervals and took place mostly between February and May 1985. Nine species emerged in relatively large numbers but Conium maculatum did not. Survival was recorded until 1987, by which time only four species were still present. Three of these species flowered (Anthriscus sylvestris, Heracleum sphondylium and Pimpinella major), but the fourth (Conopodium majus) did not. Most flowering took place for the first time in 1988. 3. Several attributes of the 10 species are considered as possible determinants of establishment success (...)

A leaf-differentiating tissue culture which produced substantial amounts of pseudoisoeugenol- (2-methylbutyrate) has been used to examine the origin of the pseudoisoeugenol skeleton. 14Cand 13C-labelling revealed ʟ-phenylalanine, trans-cinnamic acid and p-coumaric acid as precursors. 13C-labelled precursors proved to be especially useful.

The roots of Pimpinella major Huds., P. saxifraga L. and P. peregrina L. do not contain any of the furocoumarins, indicated in previous literature. The main components of roots and fruits of P. major and P. saxifraga are isoeugenol epoxy tiglic ester, isoeugenol epoxy-2-methyl butanoic ester and 4-(1′,2′-epoxypropyl)-phenyl tiglic ester. The fruit and roots of P. peregrina do not contain these components. Only the fruit of P. major contains β-bisabolene and larger amounts of bisabolangelone.