Dietmar Rolf Kammerer

University of Hohenheim · Institute of Food Science and Biotechnology

Horse chestnut (HC) extracts are applied in complementary medicine for the treatment of venous circulatory disorders and other ailments. While the seeds of HC have been thoroughly studied in terms of their secondary metabolite profile, little is known about their microbial conversion upon fermentation. Therefore, we herein investigated the fermenta...

Lactic acid (LA) fermentation of dog’s mercury (M. perennis L.) herbal parts was investigated in samples inoculated with either Lactobacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus, LBF) or whey (WF). Depending on fermentation time, LA concentrations were monitored in a range of 3.4–15.6 g/L with a concomitant pH decline from 6.5 to 3...

Matricaria recutita L., German chamomile, is one of the most widely used medicinal plants, whose efficacy has been proven in numerous studies. However, its roots have attracted only little interest so far, since mainly above-ground plant parts are used for medicinal purposes. To broaden the knowledge of chamomile roots, a profound phytochemical cha...

Curcuma longa L. is a traditional medicinal and spice plant containing a variety of lipophilic active substances with promising therapeutic properties. In this work, the solvent properties of supercritical carbon dioxide in a pressure and temperature range of 75-425 bar and 35-75 °C were investigated when Curcuma longa rhizomes were extracted. The...

Essential oils (EOs) and their individual volatile organic constituents have been an inherent part of our civilization for thousands of years. They are widely used as fragrances in perfumes and cosmetics and contribute to a healthy diet, but also act as active ingredients of pharmaceutical products. Their antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflamma...

The fermentation of medicinal plants has been studied very little, as compared to the fermentation of food and beverages. One approach applies fermentation by single bacterial or fungal strains and targets the production of specific compounds or preservation of the fermented material. Spontaneous fermentation by an autochthonous starter community m...

The impact of naturally occurring furocoumarins on essential agrumen oils, namely bergamot, lime and, lemon, was investigated upon exposure to UV-A light. For this purpose, the oils were initially freed from furocoumarins and coumarins by precipitation in cold hexane. Such pretreated oils, as well as samples of these oils spiked with separated furo...

Two undescribed monodesmosidic oleanene-type saponins, namely 3β-O-{[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)]-α-L-arabinopyranosyl}-saikogenin G (1) and 3β-O-{[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)]-α-L-arabinopyranosyl}-16-deoxysaikogenin F (2), named anthylloside A and B, have been isolated from an acetone-water extract from aerial parts of kidney vetch (A. vulneraria L.)....

Caraway is a widespread agricultural crop that has been utilized by humans since ancient times. It is known as a kitchen spice, medicinal plant in phytotherapy and, due to its high essential oil content, as a fragrant plant and raw material for terpene production. Limonene and carvone, which in turn are used as precursors for the synthesis of furth...

The effect of furocoumarins on terpene photo-oxidation under UV-A light was investigated. For this purpose, four furocoumarins (8-methoxypsoralen, bergapten, bergaptol, bergamottin) each at a level of 5%, was added to solutions of the terpenes β-pinene, R-(+)-limonene and γ-terpinene in ethanol followed by UV irradiation at 366 nm. Bergaptol and be...

Kümmel (Carum carvi L.) ist eine weitverbreitete Nutzpflanze, die zur Familie der Doldenblütler (Apiaceae) gehört und schon seit dem Altertum als Heilpflanze und Küchengewürz geschätzt wird [1]. Aufgrund des hohen Gehaltes an ätherischem Öl in der Kümmelsaat stellt dieses ebenfalls einen wichtigen Rohstoff dar. Das Kümmelöl (Aetheroleum Carvi) find...

In the recent past many studies investigated the microbiome of plants including several medicinal plants (MP). Microbial communities of the associated soil, rhizosphere and the above-ground organs were included, but there is still limited information on their seasonal development, and in particular simultaneous investigations of different plant org...

The present study aimed at the identification and quantitation of phenolic compounds, fatty acids, and further characteristic substances in the seeds of Geum urbanum L. and Geum rivale L. For this purpose, individual components of extracts recovered with MeOH, CH2Cl2, and by cold-pressing, respectively, were characterized by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MSn and GC...

Achillea atrata L. is a traditionally used medicinal plant. With its pronounced antimicrobial potential, this alpine Achillea species may also be used in modern phytotherapy to treat MRSA infections and prevent dermal infections, such as acne vulgaris. For the present study, A. atrata was cultivated in its natural habitat in Switzerland as well as...

In the present study, Achillea atrata L. and A. millefolium L. were compared for the first time with regard to their phenolic compound profile and antioxidant activity by applying the 2,2-diphenyl-picryl hydrazyl radical assay. For this purpose, aerial plant parts were consecutively extracted with solvents of increasing polarity (dichloromethane, n...

Zusammenfassung Der Große Wiesenknopf (Sanguisorba officinalis L.) – eine Pflanze aus der Familie der Rosaceae – findet seit über 2000 Jahren vorwiegend im chinesischen Raum Anwendung bei der Behandlung von Verbrennungen, Blutungen und schlecht heilenden Wunden. Hydroalkoholische Auszüge der Wurzeln werden heute insbesondere in der Komplementärmedi...

Front Cover. Kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria L.) is an almost forgotten medicinal plant, which is gaining increasing demand as herbal raw material, potentially applicable in cosmetic or phytomedicinal preparations. Since studies providing a profound overview on A. vulneraria constituents are still scant, the particular focus of the full paper pr...

Kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria L.) is an old medicinal plant ethnopharmaceutically used for the treatment of wounds and ulcerations. Nowadays extracts were mainly applied in cosmetics remedies due to there benefical effects on the skin. However, studies on the natural products composition are rare. Therefore, we comprehensively analyzed the pro...

Various Achillea species are rich in bioactive compounds and are important medicinal plants in phytotherapy. In the present study, Achillea millefolium L., Achillea moschata Wulfen, and Achillea atrata L. were compared with respect to their phenolic profile and antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria strains (Staphylococcus, Propionib...

Extracts of kidney vetch ( Anthyllis vulneraria L.) are becoming increasingly interesting as ingredients for the health and cosmetics industry. However, comprehensive phytochemical investigations of this plant are scant in the literature. Thus, the aim of the present work was an in‐depth characterization of semi‐polar constituents from A. vulnerari...

Rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) oil is one of the most expensive essential oils and therefore often subject to adulteration. Common cases of adulteration include the admixture of fatty oils or high-boiling glycols, the addition of specific compounds or of (fractions of) similar but cheaper essential oils. Physicochemical properties like relative densit...

Microbial fermentation of plant extracts with Lactobacteria is an option to obtain microbiologically stable preparations, which may be applied in complementary medicine. We investigated the metabolic conversion of constituents from Mercurialis perennis L. extracts, which were prepared for such applications. For this purpose, aqueous extracts were i...

In vitro dermal penetration availability of heavy metals in healing earth Funke, M., Bad Boll/D, Knödler, M., Bad Boll/D, Kübler S., Bad Boll/D, Neudert M., Bad Boll/D, Stintzing, F.C., Bad Boll/D, Kammerer, D.R., Bad Boll/D Dr. Matthias Knödler, WALA Heilmittel GmbH, Dorfstraße 1, 73087 Bad Boll/D Healing earth (syn. medicinal clay), a fine powd...

Zusammenfassung Hypericum-Samen wurden kürzlich als natürliche Quelle für eine Reihe von Xanthon-Derivaten beschrieben. In Methanol-Extrakten von H. perforatum und H. tetrapterum konnten per HPLC(DAD)-MS n zwei Hauptkomponenten, die Tetrahydroxyxanthone THX-1 und-2, identifiziert werden, deren genaue Konfiguration bislang unbekannt war. Beide Subst...

Seeds from Hypericum species have recently been identified as an interesting source of xanthone derivatives. Extraction of seeds from H. perforatum with MeOH and subsequent concentration via polyamide adsorption yielded a fraction enriched in tetrahydroxyxanthones (THX), which were further semipurified by silica chromatography. Based on tentative s...

Seeds of Hypericum perforatum and H. tetrapterum were extracted with dichloromethane and methanol and investigated by chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods. Both species yielded a fatty oil fraction amounting to 30.5% and 18.0% of the seed weight, respectively. Linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) was shown to be the predominant fatty acid constituent...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of crucial process parameters, i.e. of light and temperature conditions, during the preparation of St. John's wort (SJW, Hypericum perforatum L.) Arachis oil macerates. Extracts were prepared according to a standardized protocol over a period of 28 days. For this purpose, flowering tops of...

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John’s wort, SJW) is a traditional medicinal plant with a long history of pharmaceutical application. Today, besides formulations based on hydro-alcoholic extracts, lipophilic SJW preparations are widely used in phytomedicine e.g. for the symptomatic treatment of minor inflammations of the skin and subcutaneous tissue d...

Primula veris L. is an important medicinal plant with documented use for the treatment of gout, headache and migraine reaching back to the Middle Ages. Triterpenoid saponins from roots and flowers are used in up-to-date phytotherapeutic treatment of bronchitis and colds due to their expectorant and secretolytic effects. In addition to the wild type...

Among water-soluble natural pigments, anthocyanins play by far the most important role due to their widespread occurrence, imparting attractive hues and bright colors to many flowers, vegetables, fruits, and grains. However, their limited stability upon processing and storage is still a major challenge for industrial manufacturers. Consequently, sy...

Mercurialis tomentosa L. has been used in Spanish ethnomedicine. In the present study the first phytochemical characterisation of a lipid fraction from M. tomentosa was performed. The CHCl3 extraction of aerial parts from M. tomentosa and GC-MS investigations revealed the occurrence of cuticular lipid and wax constituents, like long chain n-alcohol...

Mercurialis tomentosa L. (shrubby hairy mercury) has been applied in Spanish ethnomedicine for the treatment of external swellings, rheumatism, inflammations and internally as a purge or against intestinal disorders . Interestingly, pharmacological investigations have recently demonstrated in vitro anti-inflammatory effects by inhibition of PGE2 an...

Strophanthus extracts containing cardioactive cardenolides are still applied in European complementary medicine for the treatment of heart diseases. However, the cardenolide profile and the fate of individual compounds during extraction and storage are not well understood. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to characterize the carden...

Five homologous acetylated acylglycerols of 3-hydroxyfatty acids (chain lengths C14 -C18 ), named euphrasianins A-E, were characterized for the first time in Euphrasia rostkoviana Hayne (Orobanchaceae) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometr...

The seeds of Strophanthus kombé Oliv. are known to contain high levels of cardioactive compounds. However, the therapeutic use of Strophanthus in the treatment of cardiopathy requires more detailed knowledge of the compound profile to profit from the full potential of Strophanthus preparations. Therefore, the objective was to characterize the carde...

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy represents an emerging analytical technique, which is enjoying increasing popularity in the food processing industry due to its low running costs, and since it does not require sample preparation. Moreover, it is a non-destructive, environmental friendly, rapid technique capable for on-line application. Therefore, t...

Strophanthus kombe Oliv. is a climbing plant, which may be found mainly in Central Africa. Its seeds contain cardenolides exhibiting cardioactive properties. Hence, Strophanthus extracts and isolated cardenolides have been used for treating heart diseases. Thin-layer (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are commonly used as analy...

Seven adsorbent and anion exchange resins with different polymeric backbones and functional groups were evaluated in the present study regarding their polyphenol adsorption efficiency. A food-grade strong basic anion exchange resin proved to be most suitable for gallic acid adsorption from a model solution, presumably due to its cross-linked polyst...

Industrial recovery and application of valuable mango (Mangifera indica L.) peel constituents, such as dietary fiber and pectins, require the conversion of the yet under-utilized and highly perishable by-product into a stable commodity. Focusing on efficient pectin recovery, the impact of different cultivars and ripeness degrees as well as various...

Das Echte Johanniskraut (Hypericum perforatum L.) hat bis heute grose Bedeutung in der Phytotherapie, was sich u.a. an der Wahl zur Arzneipflanze des Jahres 2015 ablesen lasst [1]. Der Pflanze werden mild antidepressive sowie antiphlogistische, wundheilungs- und durchblutungsfordernde sowie antibakterielle Wirkungen zugeschrieben [2]. Zur Sicherste...

Plant cuticles form a hydrophobic layer covering all aerial parts of terrestrial plants as a protective barrier against environmental impacts such as desiccation, extreme temperature changes, microbial infection and intense UV radiation [1]. We herein identified in CH 2 Cl 2 extracts of E. rostkoviana by use of GC-MS and HPLC-APCI-MS n methods a no...

Eyebright (Euphrasia rostkoviana Hayne) is an old medicinal plant belonging to the Orobanchacea family (formerly included in the Scrophulariaceae). This hemiparasitic species is mostly found in mountain areas of the northern hemisphere. The term ‘eyebright‘ indicates the long history of the plant for the treatment of eye diseases. Beside it‘s ancie...

Changes in the visible spectra of strawberry (cv. ‘Senga Sengana’) anthocyanins were studied in model solutions (0.1 M McIlvaine buffer, pH 3.4) depending on the addition of rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) petal polyphenols acting as co-pigments. The magnitude of the batho- and hyperchromic effects increased with the co-pigment concentration.

The influence of different technological treatments on alk(en)ylresorcinol (AR) contents and pattern in mango peels was evaluated using peels from six different mango cultivars. AR concentrations were shown to highly depend on the cultivar. While high AR concentrations were observed in the analyzed monoembryonic cultivars, AR contents in the polyem...

Sea squill (Drimia maritima L.) extracts have been used for centuries for the medical treatment of heart diseases. A procedure for the preparation of Drimia extracts applied for such purposes comprising a fermentation step is described in the German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia (GHP). However, little is known about the secondary metabolite profile of...

The aim of this study was to produce light-coloured protein isolates from sunflower press cake on a pilot plant scale. Mild-acidic extraction at pH 6 prevented discolouration due to co-extracted phenolic compounds and facilitated the adsorptive removal thereof using a styrene-divinylbenzene resin, coupled with ion exchange. To enhance protein solub...

Background and AimsThe parameters commonly examined upon receival of grapes at wineries are insufficient for comprehensive quality assessment. Grape quality is mainly determined by the ripeness and phytosanitary status of the grapes and is indicated by changes in chemical composition. Thus, we have evaluated the feasibility of an on-line assessment...

Hermidin (1), a piperidine-2,3-dione alkaloid, has been previously detected as a lipophilic constituent in Mercurialis perennis L. and other Mercurialis species. Because of strong electron-withdrawing effects of its carbonyl groups, an acidic H-atom is easily subtracted from 1, whereas the latter shows high reactivity towards oxidation reactions or...

Residues from plant food processing are valuable sources for the recovery of polyphenols, pectins, and proteins. These compounds may be used as natural antioxidants and functional food ingredients. The present review exemplifies innovative strategies for the valorization of by-products originating from apple, grape and sunflower processing. Apple p...

Perceptual quality and food safety of grape products like wine is generally impaired by grape rot. Commonly applied visual inspection for quality assessment remains subjective. However, conventional analytical determinations are tedious and time-consuming. In contrast, near infrared/visible (NIR/VIS) spectroscopy is an objective and rapid alternati...

In der vorliegenden Studie wurden ein rein wässriger Extrakt und ein wässrig fermentierter Extrakt, hergestellt nach dem Homöopathischem Arzneibuch (HAB), aus der Meerzwiebel (Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn) bei unterschiedlichen Temperatur- und Lichtbedingungen gelagert. In regelmäßigen Abständen wurde die Stabilität der Herzglykoside in diesen Extra...

Mediterranean sea squill (Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn) is used in the production of medicinal products. Current HPLC methods comprise tedious sample clean-up and have been merely focused on the analysis of cardiac glycosides, whereas a thorough characterization of D. maritima considering both the latter compound class and more hydrophilic secondary...

A process for the production of innovative pasty parsley and celeriac products was developed. Freshly harvested plant material was blanched, processed into a paste, and subsequently heated for 3 min at 90 and 95 °C, respectively. Chlorophyll stability was not af-fected by the thermal process due to the addition of 0.05 % (m/v) MgCl2 to the blanchin...

Polyacetylenes are known for their biofunctional properties in a wide range of organisms. In the present study, the most frequently occurring polyacetylenes, i.e. falcarinol, falcarindiol, and falcarindiol-3-acetate, were determined in six genera of the Apiaceae family. For this purpose, a straightforward and reliable method for the screening and q...

Stem bark extracts of Boerhavia erecta L. (erect spiderling) and Amaranthus spinosus L. (spiny amaranth), two wild growing weed plants used in traditional African medicine, were characterized with respect to their phenolic profile including the betalains. While the main betalains in A. spinosus were identified as amaranthine and isoamaranthine, the...

Adsorption and ion exchange have been employed for thousands of years exploiting the potential of this technology in various application areas, ranging from water and wastewater treatment to food processing and medicinal applications. Together with the development of more sophisticated synthetic polymers exhibiting tailor-made functional properties...

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different pectins on strawberry anthocyanins in viscous model solutions at pH 3.0. For this purpose, low esterified amidated, low and high methyl esterified citrus and apple pectins, and a sugar beet pectin (SBP), respectively, were added to strawberry extracts. The latter were predo...

Propolis, a complex mixture of different plant exudates collected and processed by honeybees, contains a wide range of bioactive substances. German propolis has so far only rarely been studied with respect to its constituents and botanical origin. To investigate the composition of specific phenolic constituents in bud extracts and German propolis,...

Fresh coriander leaves were steam- and water-blanched at 100°C and at 90 and 100°C, respectively, for 1-10min, and subsequently comminuted to form a paste. Pasty products obtained from coriander fruits were processed after water-blanching applying the same time-temperature regimes. Among the 11 phenolics characterised in leaves by high-performance...

Initial heating was applied as the first processing step in the production of innovative pasty celeriac products. For this purpose, celeriac was converted into a paste and subsequently heated at 90 and 100 °C for 5–10 min. Alternatively, the fresh plant material was blanched prior to mincing. For the first time, phenolic compounds in celeriac were...

Dog‘s mercury (Mercurialis perennis) is an old medicinal plant nowadays used in complementary medicine [1]. Fermented extracts from M. perennis, prepared according to an official specification (HAB 34c) [2], are mainly applied in remedies for the topical treatment of inflammation [1]. In search of the active principle of this plant species, a range...

Sea squill (Urginea maritima (L.) Baker) is native to the Mediterranean area and has been used for treating heart diseases for a long time. Today, it is still used in homeopathy, mainly due to the presence of cardiac glycosides. Profiles of the latter have been intensively studied in the 1990ies [1; 2]. Common sample preparation strategies comprise...

The effects of different pectins on the stabilisation of black currant anthocyanins in viscous model solutions at pH 3.0 were investigated. For this purpose, low esterified amidated (AM), low (LM) and high (HM) methoxylated citrus and apple pectins and a sugar beet pectin were added to a purified anthocyanin extract (ACN-E) and to an extract contai...

To gain more comprehensive knowledge of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit composition and its impact on juice features, fruits and juices produced from fruits of eleven different provenances were investigated by HPLC–DAD-ESI/MSn for their monomeric phenolic and lignan profiles. Total phenolics and antioxidant capacity were monitored by the Fol...

Piperidindione alkaloids are naturally occurring in different species of Mercurialis (Euphorbiaceae) [1]. Hermidin 1, the main alkaloid of dog's mercury (M. perennis), is an air-sensitive molecule which is easily oxidized in aqueous solution to yield blue, yellow and yellow-brown compounds [1,2]. By LC-UV(DAD)-MS/MS analysis of an aqueous extract o...

Strawberry jams and spreads were prepared under reduced pressure at various temperatures (70, 75 and 90 °C, respectively) using amidated, high and low esterified commercial pectins. For their full characterisation, dry matter, ash contents and amounts of selected metal ions were determined. Gel strength measurements were performed, and the products...

Polyphenoloxidase (PPO) inhibitors, such as L-cysteine, L-cysteine*HCl, citric acid, papain, pepsin and bromelain, respectively, were added to freshly prepared unheated strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) purees. Subsequently, strawberry PPO was extracted, and its residual activity was determined spectrophotometrically and compared to a control...

This chapter has demonstrated membrane separation and filtration as well as adsorption and ion exchange to be valuable tools for the enrichment, purification and fractionation of phenolic compounds. The studies discussed in this context have shown that these methodologies may be precisely described applying mathematical modelling, allowing predicti...

Fresh herbs were water- and steam-blanched at 90-100°C and 100°C, respectively, for 1-10min and 30s to 7min for parsley and marjoram, respectively, and subsequently minced to obtain a paste. For the first time, phenolic compounds of unheated marjoram were characterised by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS)...

The present study aimed at a systematic assessment of the factors influencing the anthocyanin (AC) stability and colour retention of pomegranate juices and less complex model solutions with particular focus on the effects of colourless phenolic copigments (CP). The thermal stability of ACs in three pomegranate juices obtained from isolated arils an...