Search

Wenming Zhao,1,2,* Chengwei Yang,1,* Ning Zhang,3,* Yuanyuan Peng,3 Ying Ma,3 Keru Gu,3 Xia Liu,3 Xiaohui Liu,3 Xijian Liu,3 Yumin Liu,4 Songkai Li,1 Linjing Zhao3 1Department of Spinal Surgery, The 940th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Orthopedics, Zhangye Second People’s Hospital, Zhangye, People’s Republic of China; 3College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 4Instrumental Analysis Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Linjing Zhao, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, Email ljzhao@sues.edu.cn Songkai Li, Department of Spinal Surgery, The 940th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China, Email lisongkai@gmail.comObjective: The characteristic constituents of essential oils from aromatic plants have been widely applied as antimicrobial agents in the last decades. However, their mechanisms of action remain obscure, especially from the metabolic perspective. The aim of the study was to explore the antimicrobial effect and mechanism of menthone, a main component of peppermint oil, against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).Methods: An integrated approach including the microbiology and the high-coverage lipidomics was applied. The changes of membrane properties were studies by the fluorescence and electron microscopical observations. The lipid profile was analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadruple Exactive mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS). The lipid-related key targets which were associated with the inhibitory effect of menthone against MRSA, were studied by network analysis and molecular docking.Results: Menthone exhibited antibacterial activities against MRSA, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 3,540 and 7,080 μg/mL, respectively. The membrane potential and membrane integrity upon menthone treatment were observed to change strikingly. Further, lipids fingerprinting identified 136 significantly differential lipid species in MRSA cells exposed to menthone at subinhibitory level of 0.1× MIC. These metabolites span 30 important lipid classes belonging to glycerophospholipids, glycolipids, and sphingolipids. Lastly, the correlations of these altered lipids, as well as the potential metabolic pathways and targets associated with menthone treatment were deciphered preliminarily.Conclusion: Menthone had potent antibacterial effect on MRSA, and the mechanism of action involved the alteration of membrane structural components and corresponding properties. The interactions of identified key lipid species and their biological functions need to be further determined and verified, for the development of novel antimicrobial strategies against MRSA.Keywords: menthone, MRSA, antimicrobial activity, cell membrane, lipid homeostasis, microbial lipidomics, UHPLC-QE-MS

Insecticides of synthetic origin used indiscriminately to manage insect pest populations are known for genotoxicity, neurotoxicity and teratogenicity in non-target organisms as well as the development of resistance in target insects. These issues have focused insect pest management research towards the use of plant-based chemicals of a volatile nature. In this study, two plant-origin volatile compounds, carvacrol and menthone have been evaluated for their potential insecticidal properties against the maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). These two natural volatile chemicals repelled adults and caused lethality in adults as well as larvae. These two volatile chemicals inhibited acetylcholine esterase enzyme activity in adults when fumigated with sub-lethal concentrations. Both volatile chemicals reduced oviposition potential, progeny production and feeding behavior as well as prolonged the developmental period of the insect. Therefore, it can be concluded that these two natural volatile chemicals can be used in the preparation of volatile chemical-based formulations in the management of maize weevil S. zeamais. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10145014

Abstract (+)-Neomenthylamine is an important industrial precursor used to synthesize high value-added chemicals. Here, we report a novel biocatalytic route to synthesize (+)-neomenthylamine by amination of readily available (−)-menthone substrate using ω-transaminase. By screening a panel of ω-transaminases, an ω-transaminase from Vibrio fluvialis JS17 was identified with considerable amination activity to (−)-menthone, and then characterization of enzymatic properties was conducted for the enzyme. Under optimized conditions, 10 mM (−)-menthone was transformed in a mild aqueous phase with 4.7 mM product yielded in 24 h. The biocatalytic route using inexpensive starting materials (ketone substrate and amino donor) and mild reaction conditions represents an easy and green approach for (+)-neomenthylamine synthesis. This method underscores the potential of biocatalysts in the synthesis of unnatural terpenoid amine derivatives. Graphical Abstract

Insecticides of synthetic origin used indiscriminately to manage insect pest populations are known for genotoxicity, neurotoxicity and teratogenicity in non-target organisms as well as the development of resistance in target insects. These issues have focused insect pest management research towards the use of plantbased chemicals of a volatile nature. In this study, two plant-origin volatile compounds, carvacrol and menthone have been evaluated for their potential insecticidal properties against the maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). These two natural volatile chemicals repelled adults and caused lethality in adults as well as larvae. These two volatile chemicals inhibited acetylcholine esterase enzyme activity in adults when fumigated with sub-lethal concentrations. Both volatile chemicals reduced oviposition potential, progeny production and feeding behavior as well as prolonged the developmental period of the insect. Therefore, it can be concluded that these two natural volatile chemicals can be used in the preparation of volatile chemical-based formulations in the management of maize weevil S. zeamais. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Menthone that is a monoterpene rich in Mentha × piperita L. has been found anti-inflammatory potential for treating various diseases. However, the effect of menthone supplementation in vivo on systemic allergic inflammation in allergic asthma has not been investigated yet.Purpose: To unravel the puzzle, menthone was administered by gavage to ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized and challenged BALB/c mice for 5 weeks to evaluate the effects on allergic asthma.Study design: There were six groups in the experiment, including dietary control (DC group, 0 mg menthone/kg b.w./day), 8 (ML group), 40 (MM group) as well as 200 mg menthone/kg b.w./day (MH group), positive control (PC group, 3 mg dexamethasone/kg b.w. before OVA challenge) and non-treatment control (NTC group, normal mice without treatment).Methods: Changes in mediators of systemic immune responses including serum antibody titers, Th1/Th2 cytokines by splenocytes and pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines by peritoneal macrophages of the experiment mice were analyzed using ELISA.Results: As a result, menthone supplementation significantly decreased Th2-polarized OVA-specific IgG1 and IgE titers, as well as total IgE levels. Menthone supplementation dose-dependently and significantly decreased IL-4 and IL-5 (Th2) secretions by splenocytes. Menthone supplementation decreased pro-/anti-inflammatory secretion ratios (TNF-α/IL-10) by peritoneal macrophages.Conclusion: Our results suggest that menthone supplementation may effectively ameliorate systemic allergic inflammation in the allergic asthmatic mice via regulating Th2-skewed immune balance.

Background: This work is development of new molecules of isoniazid derivatives as dealing with potential of antimicrobial activity against clinical pathogens causing infectious disease. Antimicrobial of novel Mannich base derivatives can be achieved via one-pot synthesis in green chemistry approach. This method offers efficient, mild reaction conditions and high yields. In this study, totally 12 compounds (1a–l) was prepared and screened for cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities. Materials and methods: Newly synthesised compounds were conformed via FT- IR, 1H, and 13C NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), and mass spectra analysis. All compounds were checked antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria of Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative bacteria of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. All compounds were checked against antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus niger, and Microsporum audouinii. All compounds were screened for cytotoxic activity against the MCF-7 (Michigan Cancer Foundation-7) cancer cell line. Result: The compound 1g was highly (MIC: 0.25 μg/mL) active against gram-negative bacterial of P. aeruginosa, whereas other compounds 1e and 1h were more active (MIC: 2 μg/mL) in K. pneumoniae and also 1g (MIC: 2 μg/mL) was more active in E. faecalis than standard ciprofloxacin. Antifungal screening, the compound 1b was highly active (MIC: 0.25 μg/mL) against C. albicance, 1g (MIC: 2 μg/mL) and 1h (MIC: 4 μg/mL) was significant of active against A. fumigatus, and the compound 1c (MIC: 4 μg/mL) was extremely active in M. audouinii than clotrimazole. Compound 1g (GI50 = 0.01 μM) exhibited high activity against the MCF-7 cell line, while 1b (GI50 = 0.02 μM) was equipotent active compared with standard doxorubicin. Conclusion: A novel set of isoniazid derivatives (1a–l) and 1h were synthesized and screened for antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. We found some highly active molecules, which are evidencing to be a potential treatment of bacterial and fungal infection candidates.

A series of novel menthone derivatives bearing pyrimidine and urea moieties was designed and synthesized to explore more potent natural product-derived antitumor agents. The structures of the target compounds were confirmed by FTIR, NMR, and HRMS. The in vitro antitumor activity was tested by standard methyl thiazolytetrazolium assay and showed that 4i, 4g, 4s, and 4m are the best compounds with IC50 values of 6.04 ± 0.62µM, 3.21 ± 0.67µM, 19.09 ± 0.49µM, and 18.68 ± 1.53µM, against Hela, MGC-803, MCF-7, and A549, respectively. The results of the preliminary action mechanism studies showed that compound 4i, the representative compound, could induce cell apoptosis in Hela cells in a dose-dependent manner and might arrest the cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Furthermore, the results of network pharmacology prediction and Western blot experiments indicated that compound 4i might inhibit Hela cells through inhibit PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. The binding modes and the binding sites interactions between compound 4i and the target proteins were predicted preliminarily by the molecular docking method.

Menthone is rich in Mentha × Piperita L. essential oil and it has anti-inflammatory properties; research shows that it is useful, via percutaneous absorption, in treating inflammation-related diseases. However, anti-allergic inflammatory effects of volatile menthone have not yet been used to treat allergic asthma, in vivo. We hypothesized that menthone inhalation may have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects in patients with allergic asthma. Therefore, in our study, menthone inhalation was used to treat ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized and challenged asthmatic mice. Allergic inflammation mediator changes in the lungs and airways, sera, splenocytes, and peritoneal macrophages of the mice were measured. Relative expression amounts of six receptor genes related to allergic inflammation of the lungs and airways were quantitated using a two-step real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Results showed that menthone inhalation increased serum OVA-specific IgG2a/IgG1 and IgG2a/IgE ratios, increased Th1-type cytokine production in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and decreased nitric oxide, protein, and eotaxin levels. Menthone inhalation inhibited mast cell and eosinophil degranulation, and chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 3 (Ccr3) gene expression amounts, but (relatively) increased Th1 cytokine secretion by splenocytes. Our results evidence that menthone inhalation alleviates local and systemic allergic inflammation in asthmatic mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants can use volatiles for remote suppression of competitors. Mints produce essential oils, which are known to affect the growth of other plants. We used a comparative approach to identify allelopathic compounds from different Mints (genus Mentha, but also including Cat Mint, Nepeta cataria, and Corean Mint, Agastache rugosa, belonging to sisters clades within the Mentheae) using the standard cress germination assay as readout. To understand the mechanism behind this allelopathic effect, we investigated the response of tobacco BY-2 cell lines, expressing GFP-tagged markers for microtubules and actin filaments to these essential oils. Based on the comparison between bioactivity and chemical components, we identified menthone as prime candidate for the allelopathic effect, and confirmed this bioactivity targeted to microtubules experimentally in both, plant cells (tobaccoBY-2), and seedlings (Arabidopsis thaliana). We could show that menthone disrupted microtubules and induced mortality linked with a rapid permeabilization (less than 15 min) of the plasma membrane. This mortality was elevated in a tubulin marker line, where microtubules are mildly stabilized. Our study paves the way for the development of novel bioherbicides that would be environmentally friendly.

Background: Acyclovir (ACV) is known to be toxic to gonads, inducing apoptosis in the reproductive system. The beneficial effects of vitamin C (Vit C) and menthone, both as antioxidant agents on various organs has been reported. Objective: This study evaluated the potential role of the Vit C and menthone on the DNA damage in rat spermatozoa induced by the ACV. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, adult male albino Wistar rats with average weight of 250±10 gr, were divided into six groups (n=18/each), as: ACV (15 mg/kg/day), ACV+Vit C (20 mg/kg/day), ACV+ menthone (100 µl/d), ACV+ menthone (250 µl/d), ACV+ menthone (400 µl/day) and control group without any treatment. At the end of experiment, the animals were sacrificed and sperm samples were collected and isolated in phosphate-buffered saline and examined by TUNEL staining process. The percentage of TUNEL positive spermatozoa was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy. Each experiment was performed in three repeats. Results: Male rats exposed to ACV had significant increase in DNA damages in comparison to other groups. The percentage of TUNEL positive sperm cells was 90.83 (p

Ziziphora clinopodioides L. is a valuable medicinal and aromatic plant; however, its special requirements for proper growth and enhanced secondary metabolite composition have limited its production and availability. The lack of appropriate fertilizer dosage recommendations is one of these limiting factors for ex situ conservation and large-scale cultivation. This study investigated the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization on Z. clinopodioides in both open field and unheated greenhouse conditions. The determined research factor was N dosage (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg N ha−1 in the field) and (0, 200, 400, and 600 mg N pot−1 in the greenhouse). It was found that Z. clinopodioides plants could grow successfully outside their natural habitat with sufficient N fertilization yielding a satisfactory amount of metabolites per plantation area. Specifically, among the tested dosages, the 120 kg N ha−1 (which showed no significant difference from 80 kg N ha−1) and 400 mg N pot−1 fertilizers increased the aboveground dry and fresh biomass, essential oil (EO) content, and yield. Nitrogen fertilization showed a direct correlation with menthone, neo-menthol, menthol, pulegone, E-ocimenone, and spathulenol, but a negative correlation with α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, 1,8-cineol, trans-pulegol, and iso-menthone. This study is the first to evaluate the effects of N fertilization on the genus Ziziphora. The results indicate that utilizing N fertilizer at a moderate rate (80 kg N ha−1 in the field and 400 mg N pot−1 in the greenhouse) can improve the agronomic traits and EO of Z. clinopodioides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the ability of starch to absorb menthone, corn starch was modified by enzymatic treatment (amyloglucosidase and α-amylase) combined with octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) esterification. The oil absorption rate of starch modified by enzymatic treatment followed by OSA (P-OSA) reached 101.33%, whereas that of samples with reverse action sequences (OSA-P) was only 59.67%. The degree of substitution of OSA-P was also generally lower than that of P-OSA. At high OSA addition, OSA-P had a smaller specific surface area with fewer pores because octenyl succinic (OS) groups impeded the enzymatic treatment. Compared with OSA-P, the lamellar structure of P-OSA is sparser and less ordered. Owing to its pores, P-OSA was beneficial for the reaction to occur inside the granules, which was observed by Raman spectroscopy and laser confocal microscopy. At high OSA addition, the loading of P-OSA to menthone could reach 64.34 mg/g.

Agastache rugosa (Fisch. et Mey.) O. Ktze, also known as "Suhuoxiang" (SHX), has been cultivated for more than three hundred years as a valuable aromatic edible and medicinal plant in Jiangsu Province, China. The volatile compounds of SHX from various habitats were investigated by HS-SPME-GC-MS, detecting sixty-five chemical constituents with menthone, pulegone, and estragole being the major volatile compounds. Their relative contents showed various accumulation tendencies in different growth months by GC-MS, with the relative content of menthone gradually increasing, pulegone content decreasing, as well as estragole content climbing initially before declining. This tendency was supported by quantitative experiments using samples from various habitats, which also revealed that the full-bloom stages exhibited the highest total concentrations of menthone and pulegone. The volatile composition of SHX in various plant organs differed, with palmitic acid being the main volatile component of stems, while menthone and pulegone being the core volatile components of leaves and spikes, implying that leaves and spikes should be separated from the stem to obtain higher drug contents. The current findings provide new information for SHX cultivation and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence and toxicological risks of synthetic coolants in electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have not been thoroughly studied. We identified the synthetic coolant menthone 1,2-glycerol ketal (MGK) in a menthol-flavored e-liquid at a concentration of ∼170 μg/mL. We also detected MGK in aerosols resulting from heating the e-liquid with an electronic waterpipe. MGK was initially detected in the e-liquid by two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. To avoid potential analytical artifacts that could result from heating samples in the injection port of the gas chromatograph, quantitation of MGK in the e-liquid was accomplished using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. Following recent reports identifying other synthetic coolants in e-liquids, these results add knowledge about inhalation exposures from ENDS use and suggest the importance of future research to study the potential inhalation toxicity related to the use of MGK-containing e-liquids in ENDS devices. Furthermore, the results demonstrate the ability to quantify ketals in e-liquids using liquid chromatography methods.

Graphical abstract Highlights • Base-free transfer hydrogenation of menthone by primary and secondary alcohols as a hydrogen donor under sub- and sc conditions. • The similar H -donor activity of all alcohols under non-catalytic sc conditions. • Only secondary alcohols demonstrate a high H -donor activity in the presence of Raney® Ni under subcritical conditions. • A quasi-equilibrium of isomeric menthone/isomenthone mixture reached via enolization under sc conditions. Abstract The base-free transfer hydrogenation (THR) of menthone with six aliphatic alcohols as hydrogen source has been developed under sub- and supercritical conditions. Under sc conditions (at 350 °C and 78–210 atm) without any catalyst, all alcohols demonstrated the similar H -donor activity, which was high enough. The menthone conversion was about 64 ± 5% for 5 h of the reaction, whereas the selectivity on menthol reached 92–99% for all alcohols except MeOH (73%). The non-catalytic THR at 250 °C was very slow and the conversion in the most active 2-PrOH was only 7.0–7.5% for 9 h of the reaction. Under subcritical conditions at 150 °C, the non-catalytic menthone reduction was negligible in all alcohols. But in secondary 2-PrOH and 2-BuOH, the base-free THR catalyzed by Raney® nickel results in excellent conversion and selectivity of menthol at 150 °C, whereas no conversion of menthone was observed in primary alcohols under the same reaction conditions. A quasi-equilibrium of isomeric menthone/isomenthone mixture reached via enolization was evaluated under sub- and supercritical conditions and the Gibbs energies of the isomerization in each alcohol were calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This present study aims to characterize the essential oil compositions of the aerial parts of M. spicata L. and endemic M. longifolia ssp. cyprica (Heinr. Braun) Harley by using GC-FID and GC/MS analyses simultaneously. In addition, it aims to perform multivariate statistical analysis by comparing with the existing literature, emphasizing the literature published within the last two decades, conducted on both species growing within the Mediterranean Basin. The major essential oil components of M. spicata were determined as carvone (67.8%) and limonene (10.6%), while the major compounds of M. longifolia ssp. cyprica essential oil were pulegone (64.8%) and 1,8-cineole (10.0%). As a result of statistical analysis, three clades were determined for M. spicata: a carvone-rich chemotype, a carvone/trans-carveol chemotype, and a pulegone/menthone chemotype, with the present study result belonging to the carvone-rich chemotype. Carvone was a primary determinant of chemotype, along with menthone, pulegone, and trans-carveol. In M. longifolia, the primary determinants of chemotype were identified as pulegone and menthone, with three chemotype clades being pulegone-rich, combined menthone/pulegone, and combined menthone/pulegone with caryophyllene enrichment. The primary determinants of chemotype were menthone, pulegone, and caryophyllene. The present study result belongs to pulegone-rich chemotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinopodium mexicanum (CM) has been used by the population as a home remedy for inducing sleep, and as a sedative and analgesic. This study presents the first evaluation of the antioxidant activity of the essential oil (EO) obtained through hydrodistillation of the aerial parts of CM. NaCl, CaCl2, and Tween 20 were used as additives and the yield, chemical composition, and toxicity of the EO were evaluated. The findings revealed that the highest yield of EO was obtained through hydrodistillation without additives, and the additives significantly influenced the antioxidant activity of the EO. The main components of the EO were found to be pulegone and menthone. The toxicity of the EO was determined using the brine shrimp assay, with an LD50 of 32 mg/L. Based on these results, the authors suggest that the Clinopodium mexicanum EO has the potential to serve as a natural antioxidant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Menthol and menthone are two important components in the essential oil of peppermint(Mentha piperita L.) which are commercially used in the pharmaceutical industries. This study has presented the allometric ratio of menthol and menthone to pulegone affected by the induction of bioregulators. Methods: The experiment was conducted in controlled condition based on completely randomized design (CRD) in three replications. The plants were subjected to different bioregulator treatments including distilled water; 5 %v/v methanol; 40 ppm GA3 (gibberellic acid) + 5%v/v methanol; 40 ppm IBA (indole butyric acid) + 5%v/v methanol, and 40 ppm GA3 + 40 ppm IBA + 5%v/v methanol. Essential oils analysis were performed using different methods of gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Results: The application of 40 ppm IBA + 5%v/v methanol increased the essential oil content. With the use of bioregulators, the content of menthol and menthone increased and the amount of pulegone was conversely reduced. The lowest content of pulegone was measured in the treatment with 40 ppm GA3 + 40 ppm IBA + 5%v/v methanol. Allometric analysis of components showed that the ratios of menthol/pulegone, menthone/pulegone, and (menthone+menthol)/pulegone increased by bioregulators application, especially with 40 ppm GA3 + 40 ppm IBA + 5%v/v methanol. Conclusion: Using plant bioregulators could be a suitable procedure to increase pro-health potential through increasing the amount of menthol with decreasing the content of pulegone in the essential oil. It is possible that the bioregulators were able to convert pulegone to menthol and menthone.

To screen potent terpenoid compounds against allergic inflammation in vitro and in vivo, five terpenoid compounds including menthone, farnesol, oridonin, β-escin and lupeol, were first selected to compare their anti-allergic inflammation potential using mouse lung mast cells in vitro. Among five selected terpenoid compounds, just menthone treatment decreased TNF-α/IL-10 secretion ratios in lipopolysaccharide -stimulated mast cells in vitro. As a result, menthone was further chosen to treat ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized and challenged BALB/c mice by gavage for 5 weeks. There were six groups including dietary control (DC group, 0 mg menthone/kg b.w./day), 8 (ML group), 40 (MM group) as well as 200 mg menthone/kg b.w./day (MH group) by gavage, positive control (PC group, 3 mg dexamethasone/kg b.w. by gavage before OVA challenge) and non-treatment control (NTC group, normal mice without treatment) in the experiment. Changes of inflammatory mediators, cell distribution, Th1/Th2 and pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines secretion as well as relative gene expression amounts of six receptors related to allergic inflammation in the lungs and airways were measured. The results showed that middle menthone supplementation (40 mg menthone/kg b.w./day) in vivo decreased protein and eotaxin, but increased Th1 cytokine levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Menthone supplementation inhibited eosinophilia, mast cell degranulation, chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 3 (CC receptor 3) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 1 (CXC receptor 1) gene expression amounts in the lungs, but restored the percentage of monocytes/macrophages. Our results suggest that menthone supplementation may alleviate allergic asthma through regulating airway allergic inflammation, protein overproduction, eosinophils infiltration, Th1/Th2 immune balance, CC receptor 3 and CXC receptor 1 gene expression amounts in the lungs but restoring the percentage of monocytes/macrophages in allergic asthmatic mice., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, the odour values of rosemary, mint, black cumin, lavender, and thyme oils were determined by an electronic nose working with an Arduino microprocessor. The components of the plants were compared with the sensor data, and the most sensitive sensors were determined by sorting according to the highest components. The study data indicated that the MQ3 sensor exhibited the highest sensitivity for thyme, black cumin, and lavender oils, which contain 63% carvacrol, 38% thymoquinone, and 36% linalool, respectively. Also, MQ7 was the most sensitive sensor for menthone (68%) in mint oil and eucalyptol (45%) in rosemary oil. In addition, a low-cost and non-contact device that works with an infrared sensor has been developed to detect the identity of the oil added into the vial. The study data showed that low-cost Arduino-based IR and odour sensors can determine the identity and component percentage of oils. The fact that the developed device can detect with 100 percent accuracy even in case of peppermint and rosemary oils, which are very similar in appearance, shows that the study data will be an inspiration for contactless determination of oil quality and type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The constituents of the volatile oil of air-dried aerial parts of Mentha pulegium L. (Lamiaceae) plants wildly growing in Northwest Iran were analysed by GC/MS. 46 components were identified, comprising 96.6% of the essential oil. Monoterpenes (78.9%) were the main class of the identified components followed by a minor proportion of sesqui-terpenes (11%). Oxygenated monoterpenes (75.3%) were the major subclass of volatile oil components with menthone (38.7%), menthol (11.3%), neomenthol (10.5%), and pulegone (6.8%) as major compounds. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (10.6%) were the highlighted subclass of 15 carbons sesquiterpenoidal compounds with (E)-caryophyllene (4.9%) and β-cubebene (2.5%) as their principle representatives. Furthermore, menthyl acetate (C12 acetylated monoterpene derived compound) was contained considerable amounts (5.2%) in the essential oil. In total, volatile oil composition of M. pulegium L. plants studied in the present experiment was characterised as a new menthone type with appreciable amounts of menthol and neomenthol, and it could be used as a potential source of these high value monoterpenes in pharmaceutical and food industries.