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Chemical profile and bioactive properties of the essential oil isolated from Clinopodium serpyllifolium (M.Bieb.) Kuntze growing in Palestine
Abstract
Medicinal aromatic plants (MAPs) are cultivated for the production of specialty materials including essential oils (EO), and pharmaceuticals, but most are still wild collected. The need for renewable sources of intensive industrial products as well as the protection of plant biodiversity can be satisfied by cultivating MAPs as agro-industrial crops. Such crops require ample amounts of irrigation water to meet their potential for rigorous production. Shortage of fresh water in arid and semi-arid zones has necessitated the development of MAPs production systems based on irrigation with treated effluents. In the present study we have investigated the MAP Clinopodium serpyllifolium for its suitability to grow under irrigation with treated effluents, as a source of EO and pharmaceuticals. The results have demonstrated the suitability of the utilization of treated effluents for agro-industrial production of C. serpyllifolium, as a promising source of high quality EO, and biomass production, without compromising yield parameters and bioactivities, compared with potable water irrigation. The results indicate that C. serpyllifolium is a valuable natural source of antioxidants and cholinesterase inhibitors, with interesting inhibitory actions against the key enzymes involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and could represent a starting point for the development of new AD management strategies using natural butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors, including its use as a food supplement. The study has demonstrated the ability of C. serpyllifolium extracts to exert health benefits by inhibiting pancreatic lipase, a target for obesity. Treated effluents is suitable for growth and quality production in C. serpyllifolium, and hence it forms the foundation for effluent-based industrial EO production.
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... Kuntze, known as 'Taş Nanesi' among the people, is grown naturally in the flora of Turkey. It has been traditionally used for gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory diseases, diabetes, hypertension, headache, wounds, and skin diseases, due to the presence of rich phytochemical contents in its flowers and leaves (Tošić et al., 2015;Dunkić et al., 2017;Ali-Shtayeh et al., 2018). ...
... serpyllifolium. (Gulluce et al., 2004;Abu-Gharbieh et al., 2013;Shehab and Abu-Gharbieh, 2012;Abu-Gharbieh and Ahmed, 2016;Ali-Shtayeh et al., 2018). Nonetheless, to the best of our knowledge, neuroprotective activities of C. serpyllifolium subsp. ...
... Take into consideration our ongoing research to discover plant-based enzyme inhibitors, CSS extracts were screened for their enzyme inhibitory potentials towards AChE, BChE and TYR enzymes combining with free radical scavenging activities as well as ionreducing capacities in the presented research. Even though, chemical profiles and biochemical contents of extracts and essential oils of CSS were revealed by a few previous researches (Gulluce et al., 2004;Shehab and Abu-Gharvieh, 2012;Abu-Gharbieh and Ahmed, 2016;Dunkić et al., 2017;Ali-Shtayeh et al., 2018). The flower and stem extracts from CSS were assessed regarding of neuroprotective potentials and antioxidant activities by using different assays for the first time in the current study. ...
... Kuntze, known as 'Taş Nanesi' among the people, is grown naturally in the flora of Turkey. It has been traditionally used for gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory diseases, diabetes, hypertension, headache, wounds, and skin diseases, due to the presence of rich phytochemical contents in its flowers and leaves (Tošić et al., 2015;Dunkić et al., 2017;Ali-Shtayeh et al., 2018). ...
... serpyllifolium. (Gulluce et al., 2004;Abu-Gharbieh et al., 2013;Shehab and Abu-Gharbieh, 2012;Abu-Gharbieh and Ahmed, 2016;Ali-Shtayeh et al., 2018). Nonetheless, to the best of our knowledge, neuroprotective activities of C. serpyllifolium subsp. ...
... Take into consideration our ongoing research to discover plant-based enzyme inhibitors, CSS extracts were screened for their enzyme inhibitory potentials towards AChE, BChE and TYR enzymes combining with free radical scavenging activities as well as ionreducing capacities in the presented research. Even though, chemical profiles and biochemical contents of extracts and essential oils of CSS were revealed by a few previous researches (Gulluce et al., 2004;Shehab and Abu-Gharvieh, 2012;Abu-Gharbieh and Ahmed, 2016;Dunkić et al., 2017;Ali-Shtayeh et al., 2018). The flower and stem extracts from CSS were assessed regarding of neuroprotective potentials and antioxidant activities by using different assays for the first time in the current study. ...
... A method for the treatment of obesity is the application of Orlistat, i.e., a drug that inhibits the activity of pancreatic lipase, which, however, can cause serious side effects such as the development of kidney diseases [36]. Compounds that inhibit pancreatic lipase include peptides [37], polyphenols [38], and essential oils [39]. In our study, we investigated the effect of elicitation on the lipase inhibitory activity of essential oils obtained from basil. ...
... For this reason, in the present study, we analyzed the essential oils from jasmonic acid-elicited and control basil (studied previously to assess their composition and antioxidative and anti-inflammatory potential) [11] in terms of the effect of elicitation on the additional biological properties of these oils, i.e., the antimicrobial, anticholinesterase, and potential antidiabetic activity. The antibacterial activity of essential oils from some herbs including Ocimum basilicum has been documented [37][38][39]. ...
... The agar disk diffusion method demonstrated that the inhibition zones were from 15.70 ± 0.37 (control sample) to 23.60 ± 1.91 mm (JA1 sample) in the case of Staphylococcus aureus and from 14.50 ± 1.12 mm (JA3 sample) to 22.20 ± 3.34 mm (JA2 sample) for Escherichia coli- Table 3. These results correspond perfectly to the results obtained by [39], in which basil EO showed antimicrobial activity with a similar inhibition zone diameter, i.e., 23.3 ± 0.4 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 15.2 ± 0.5 mm against Escherichia coli. Additionally, the MIC values of the basil EO studied in the present publication were similar to those obtained by Lv et al. [40]. ...
The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the elicitation with jasmonic acid on the biological activities of essential oils (EOs) from lettuce leaf basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Specifically, 0.01 µM jasmonic acid (JA1), 1 µM jasmonic acid (JA2), and 100 µM jasmonic acid (JA3) were used as elicitors. The results indicated that the elicitation increased the acetylcholinesterase, lipase, and α-amylase inhibitory activity of essential oils. A significant difference in α-glucosidase inhibition was noted only for the JA3 extract (IC50 = 0.81 µL/mL), as this activity was lower than in the control sample without elicitation (IC50 = 0.68 µL/mL). The studied basil EOs exhibited similar activity against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacteria) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative bacteria). Based on the value of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC), the best antimicrobial activity was observed for JA2 and JA3.
... Such investigations indicate that the combination of EOs with standard drugs provides significant potential for enhancing the therapeutic effect of existing therapies, developing novel strategies for the management of infectious diseases caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms, and also reducing any adverse side effects [26]. e effects of seasons on the biochemical features of some EOs of the Lamiaceae family have been described in the literature [16,27]. However, no information is available on how seasonal variations would affect the EO content, composition, and yields of the major oil constituents of spearmint cultivated in Palestine. ...
... Analysis of the Essential Oils. Determination of EO composition was performed using gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) following the conditions reported in [16,27]. e identification of the constituents was based on comparison of their relative retention indices and spectra with spectra of NIST 98, QuadLib1607 GC-MS, and Adams libraries [34]. ...
... Our results are in agreement with those of Hussain et al. [11] who also reported higher EO contents from late summer crops. A similar outcome was also obtained for Origanum syriacum and Clinopodium serpyllifolium which also showed the maximum EO yield during summer, when the plants were in full bloom [16,27]. ...
In the present study, the medicinal aromatic plant Mentha spicata has been investigated as a source of essential oil (EO) and pharmaceuticals. The quantity and composition of EO from M. spicata cultivated in Palestine were analyzed seasonally over a three-year period. A significantly higher EO content was produced in summer and fall months (2.54–2.79%). Chemical analysis of EO revealed 31 compounds with oxygenated monoterpenes (90%) as the most abundant components followed by sesquiterpene and monoterpene hydrocarbons (6 and 3%, respectively). M spicata can be characterized as a carvone chemotype (65%). EO and carvone have shown strong inhibitory activities against the principal enzymes associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and overweight diseases (cholinesterase and porcine pancreatic lipase) and also shown strong antidermatophytic activity against Microsporum canis , Trichophyton rubrum , T. mentagrophytes , and Epidermophyton floccosum . The pancreatic lipase inhibition and the synergism showed the potential activity of M. spicata EO and carvone and that their combinations with standard drugs can be useful for the treatment of obesity and overweight. The results also demonstrated that, in addition to their significant inhibitory activity against biofilm formation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), M. spicata EO and carvone had a strong inhibitory effect on metabolic activity and biomass of the preformed biofilm. The current study supports the utilization of M. spicata EO as a traditional medicine and opens perceptions to find more potent substances in the EO for the management of obesity, AD, and dermatophytosis and for combating drug-resistant bacterial infections.
... Such investigations indicate that the combination of EOs with standard drugs provides significant potential for enhancing the therapeutic effect of existing therapies, developing novel strategies for the management of infectious diseases caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms, and also reducing any adverse side effects [26]. e effects of seasons on the biochemical features of some EOs of the Lamiaceae family have been described in the literature [16,27]. However, no information is available on how seasonal variations would affect the EO content, composition, and yields of the major oil constituents of spearmint cultivated in Palestine. ...
... Analysis of the Essential Oils. Determination of EO composition was performed using gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) following the conditions reported in [16,27]. e identification of the constituents was based on comparison of their relative retention indices and spectra with spectra of NIST 98, QuadLib1607 GC-MS, and Adams libraries [34]. ...
... Our results are in agreement with those of Hussain et al. [11] who also reported higher EO contents from late summer crops. A similar outcome was also obtained for Origanum syriacum and Clinopodium serpyllifolium which also showed the maximum EO yield during summer, when the plants were in full bloom [16,27]. ...
... e voucher specimen (Lavandula pubescens Decne, Voucher No. BERC-BX603) has been deposited at BERC Herbarium, Til, Nablus, Palestine. 250 gm of the fresh aboveground plant parts were subjected to hydrodistillation using a modified Clevenger apparatus until there was no significant increase in the amount of EO collected [18]. ...
... Oil. Gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) was performed to determine the EO composition by using the conditions reported by Ali-Shtayeh et al. [18]. Identification of the compounds was performed by comparing their relative retention indices (RI) with those of authentic compounds (e.g., carvacrol, terpinolene, ε-caryophyllene, and β-bisabolene) or by comparing their mass spectral fragmentation patterns with Wiley 7 MS library (Wiley, New York, NY, USA) and NIST98 (Gaithersburg, MD, USA) mass spectral database. ...
Lavandula pubescens Decne (LP) is one of the three Lavandula species growing wildly in the Dead Sea Valley, Palestine. The products derived from the plant, including the essential oil (EO), have been used in Traditional Arabic Palestinian Herbal Medicine (TAPHM) for centuries as therapeutic agents. The EO is traditionally believed to have sedative, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antidepressive, antiamnesia, and antiobesity properties. This study was therefore aimed to assess the in vitro bioactivities associated with the LP EO. The EO was separated by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of LP plants and analyzed for its antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticholinesterase, and antilipase activities. GC-MS was used for phytochemical analysis. The chemical analysis of the EO composition revealed 25 constituents, of which carvacrol (65.27%) was the most abundant. EO exhibited strong antioxidant (IC 50 0.16–0.18 μ L/mL), antiacetylcholinesterase (IC 50 0.9 μ L/mL), antibutyrylcholinesterase (IC 50 6.82 μ L/mL), and antilipase (IC 50 1.08 μ L/mL) effects. The EO also demonstrated high antibacterial activity with the highest susceptibility observed for Staphylococcus aureus with 95.7% inhibition. The EO was shown to exhibit strong inhibitory activity against Candida albicans (MIC 0.47 μ L/mL). The EO was also shown to possess strong antidermatophyte activity against Microsporum canis , Trichophyton rubrum , Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Epidermophyton floccosum (EC 50 0.05–0.06 μ L/mL). The high antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and antimicrobial potentials of the EO can, therefore, be correlated with its high content of monoterpenes, especially carvacrol, as shown by its comparable bioactivities indicators results. This study provided new insights into the composition and bioactivities of LP EO. Our finding revealed evidence that LP EO makes a valuable natural source of bioactive molecules showing substantial potential as antioxidant, neuroprotective, antihyperlipidemic, and antimicrobial agents. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that LP EO might be useful for further investigation aiming at integrative CAM and clinical applications in the management of dermatophytosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and obesity.
... The phytochemical reports on Clinopodium species revealed various phenolic (Rosmarinic acid and chlorogenic acid), flavonoid (caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, apigeni, catechin, ferulic acid, and chlorogenic acid), aromatic compounds in their extracts and essential oils (Beddiar et al. 2021;Noriega et al. 2023). The principal volatile chemicals of Clinopodium species were found as carvacrol, pulegone, linalool, linalyl acetate, ethyl cinnamate, pulegone, methyl cinnamate, caryophyllene, β-selinene, and menthone, while polar chemicals were pulegone, ethyl cinnamate, methyl cinnamate (Ali-Shtayeh et al. 2018;Arze et al. 2019;Fernández-Galleguillos et al. 2023;Noriega et al. 2023;Stojičić et al. 2022). ...
Clinopodium menthifolium (wood calamint) is a folkloric medicinal plant ingested as a treatment for many human disorders including gastric disorders. Our study evaluates the anti-ulcer potentials of Clinopodium menthifolium ethanol extracts (CMEE) in induced gastric ulcers in rats. Thirty Dawley male rats were divided into 5 groups: normal and ulcer controls, treated orally with Tween 20%; reference rats treated with Omeprazole 20 mg/kg, and the remaining two groups received 250 and 500 mg/kg CMEE for 2 weeks. After that, food was taken away for 24 h, and then, rats received ethanol-induced gastric ulceration (except normal control), 80% (1 ml/rat). After anesthetization and sacrificing, the ulcer index, mucus content, and other ulcer measurements were obtained from dissected rat stomachs. Stomach tissues were also analyzed by different histology procedures and homogenized stomach tissues were assessed for their antioxidant contents. The toxicity trial showed the absence of any toxic signs in rats supplemented with 2 and 5 g/kg of CMEE. The gastroprotective results showed a significantly lower ulcer index and higher gastric mucin content in CMEE-ingested rats compared to ulcer controls. Furthermore, CMEE treatments significantly increased the intensity of periodic acid Schiff stained (PAS), HSP 70 protein, and down-regulation of Bax protein expression in the stomach epithelium. Rats supplemented with 500 mg/kg revealed noticeable changes in their serum inflammatory cytokines along with positive regulations of antioxidant enzymes. The outcomes provide a scientific backup behind the gastroprotective potential effect of CMEE that could serve as a natural resource against peptic ulcers.
... EO of C. serpyllifolium was characterized by the presence of 16 components mainly pulegone (55.25 %) followed by p-menth-4-en-3-one (23.15 %) and p-menthone (11.65 %) in Table 2. In the study of Ali-Shtayeh et al. (2018), it was reported that the EO of C. serpyllifolium and pulegone was used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. All compounds identified in the present study were terpenes except one acid compound palmitic acid. ...
The present study was aimed to determine phytochemical characterization, anticancer and antioxidant activities of essential oils obtained from 11 Lamiaceae species, including Clinopodium serpyllifolium subsp. barba-tum (P.H.Davis) Br€ auchler, Lavandula angustifolia Miller, Mentha £ piperita L., Mentha pulegium L., Ocimum basilicum L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Salvia aramiensis Rech.f., Salvia fruticosa Miller, Salvia officinalis L., Satur-eja thymbra L., and Thymbra spicata L. taxa from T€ urkiye. The chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) was identified using GCÀMS, and antioxidant activity was determined using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydra-zyl (DPPH) and 2,2 0-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) free radical scavenging methods. Furthermore, the anticancer potential of the EOs was evaluated using MTT method against human cell lines, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), gastric carcinoma (NCI-N87), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), human prostate carcinoma (LNCaP clone FGC-Luc2) cancer cells, and non-cancerous human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The antioxidant activities of the extracts varied from 31.96 to 74.96%. Consistent with antioxidant activities, the anticancer activities of the EOs of S. officinalis, L. angustifolia, and R. officinalis were significantly higher than others. However, almost all EOs were found to inhibit cell viability and induce apoptosis of cancer cells, while the EOs at different concentrations exhibited the highest antican-cer activity against NCI-N87, followed by HepG2, MCF-7, and LNCaP cancer cells, with the IC 50 value ranging from 10.98 § 0.12 to 78.08 § 1.21 mg/mL, respectively. Variability in phytochemical components, free radical scavenging and anticancer activities of EOs was revealed by principal component analysis (PCA) and agglom-erative hierarchical clustering (AHC). The major components of the EOs distilled from Lamiaceae species were found as eucalyptol, thujone, linalool, linalyl acetate, pulegone, carvone and carvacrol at different concentrations in the EOs. Overall, it can be clearly concluded that the EO samples distilled from some medicinal plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family contain valuable phytochemical compounds and accordingly exhibit remarkable biological activities.
... This metal contamination is usually associated with chromium from similar sources. The hydrodistillation method for the extraction of essential oils could be the main reason for lower levels of metals in the composition of plant essential oils [55]. However, even if these are obtained by distillation, metals can enter the oils during storage and production processes (e.g., steel containers). ...
Natural ecosystems are polluted with various contaminants, and among these heavy metals raise concerns due to their side effects on both environment and human health. An investigation was conducted on essential oil samples, comparing similar products between seven producers, and the results indicated a wide variation of metal content. The recommended limits imposed by European Union regulations for medicinal plants are exceeded only in Mentha × pipperita (Adams, 0.61 mg/kg). Except for Thymus vulgaris, the multivariate analysis showed a strong correlation between toxic and microelements (p < 0.001). We verified plant species-specific bioaccumulation patterns with non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis. The model showed that Adams, Doterra, Hypericum, and Steaua Divina essential oils originated from plants containing high micro and macroelement (Cu, Mn, Mg, Na) levels. We noted that the cancer risk values for Ni were the highest (2.02 × 10-9-7.89 × 10-7). Based on the target hazard quotient, three groups of elements were associated with a possible risk to human health, including As, Hg, and Cd in the first group, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Co in the second, and Zn and Al in the third. Additionally, the challenge of coupling inter-element relationships through a network plot analysis shows a considerable probability of associating toxic metals with micronutrients, which can address cumulative risks for human consumers.
... For instance, essential oils extracted from Aloysia citrodora Palau [105], Boswellia dalzielii [106], Cinnamomum zeylanicum [107], Citrus Sinensis [L.] Osbeck [108], Clinopodium serpyllifolium (M.Bieb.) Kuntze [109], Pinus halepensis [110], Polygonum hydropiper L. [111], Rumex hastatus D. Don [112], Salvia officinalis [113,114], Stachys species [115], Sideritis galatica Bornm. [116], Tetraclinis articulata [117], and Thymus species [118,119], have proven promising against AD, whereas Pulicaria undulata [120], Rosa damascene Mill. ...
Oxidative stress has been linked with a variety of diseases, being involved in the debut and/or progress of several neurodegenerative disorders. This review intends to summarize some of the findings that correlate the overproduction of reactive oxygen species with the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Oxidative stress was also noted to modify the inflammatory response. Even though oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are two totally different pathological events, they are linked and affect one another. Nonetheless, there are still several mechanisms that need to be understood regarding the onset and the progress of neurodegenerative diseases in order to develop efficient therapies. As antioxidants are a means to alter oxidative stress and slow down the symptoms of these neurodegenerative diseases, the most common antioxidants, enzymatic as well as non-enzymatic, have been mentioned in this paper as therapeutic options for the discussed disorders.
... The caryophyllene oxide as a major compound of essential oil of Salvia verticillata subsp. amasiaca showed significant anticholinesterase capacity as well 49 . ...
In recent years, growing attention has been given to essential oils. Essential oils obtained from medicinal plants show high therapeutic potential against various types of pathologies, including Alzheimer's, cancer and inflammatory diseases. The purpose of this work was to study the chemical composition of the aerial and root parts of Centaurea acaulis essential oils by GC/FID and GC/MS, to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, and in-vitro combinatory effect of aplotaxene isolated from the roots with reference standards, in order to find new and more effective agents for the treatment of degenerative and inflammatory diseases. The statistical analysis clustered the essential oil aerial parts into two distinct groups. The specimens characterized by a humid climate and low altitude was mainly discriminated by the high contents of (E)-β-caryophyllene (3.4-8.4%), hexadecanoic acid (6.3-10.8%) and caryophyllene oxide (6.2-9.9%). While the second group characterized by a humid climate and higher altitudes was characterized by high levels of limonene (15.2-19.2%) and τ-muurolol (12.6-17.2%). In contrast, essential oils of roots were dominated by aplotaxene whatever the climate type. All samples showed very good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The combination of aplotaxene with references gave synergistic effects with excellent activities about 2 times higher than the synthetic references. The neuroprotective activity of essential oils and aplotaxene did not show inhibition against AChE, whereas they inhibited BChE with IC50 values comparable to Galantamine.
... In reference to all the compiled literature, we observed that the IC 50 results were presented in several formats, in particular to the units of measurement. Among the units that were reported included mg gallic acid equivalents/g [64,76], percentage [65,74], mg/mL or mg/L [26,67,68,73,75], µm [69], and µg/mL [18,[70][71][72]. This diversity, however, was considered troublesome because direct comparison among studies with different measurement units is not possible without conversion. ...
Despite the improvements in life expectancy, neurodegenerative conditions have arguably become the most dreaded maladies of older people. The neuroprotective and anti-ageing potentials of essential oils (EOs) are widely evaluated around the globe. The objective of this review is to analyse the effectiveness of EOs as neuroprotective remedies among the four common age-related neurodegenerative diseases. The literature was extracted from three databases (PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar) between the years of 2010 to 2020 using the medical subject heading (MeSH) terms “essential oil”, crossed with “Alzheimer’s disease (AD)”, “Huntington’s disease (HD)”, “Parkinson’s disease (PD)” or “amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)”. Eighty three percent (83%) of the studies were focused on AD, while another 12% focused on PD. No classifiable study was recorded on HD or ALS. EO from Salvia officinalis has been recorded as one of the most effective acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors. However, only Cinnamomum sp. has been assessed for its effectiveness in both AD and PD. Our review provided useful evidence on EOs as potential neuroprotective remedies for age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
... Pulegone, isopulegone, piperitone, piperitenone, piperitenone oxide, menthone, isomenthone and menthol are the main constituents. 1,8-Cineole, menthofuran, carvacrol, thymol, linalool and their derivatives can also seldom be found [51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65]. The second group is decidedly less common, and includes species like Clinopodium umbrosum (M.Bieb.) ...
A novel chemical profile essential oil, distilled from the aerial parts of Clinopodium taxifolium (Kunth) Govaerts (Lamiaceae), was analysed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS, qualitative analysis) and Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID, quantitative analysis), with both polar and non-polar stationary phase columns. The chemical composition mostly consisted of sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoids (>70%), the main ones being (E)-β-caryophyllene (17.8%), α-copaene (10.5%), β-bourbonene (9.9%), δ-cadinene (6.6%), cis-cadina-1(6),4-diene (6.4%) and germacrene D (4.9%), with the non-polar column. The essential oil was then submitted to enantioselective GC analysis, with a diethyl-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-β-cyclodextrin diluted in PS-086 chiral selector, resulting in the following enantiomeric excesses for the chiral components: (1R,5S)-(−)-α-thujene (67.8%), (1R,5R)-(+)-α-pinene (85.5%), (1S,5S)-(−)-β-pinene (90.0%), (1S,5S)-(−)-sabinene (12.3%), (S)-(−)-limonene (88.1%), (S)-(+)-linalool (32.7%), (R)-(−)-terpinen-4-ol (9.3%), (S)-(−)-α-terpineol (71.2%) and (S)-(−)-germacrene D (89.0%). The inhibition activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) of C. taxifolium essential oil was then tested, resulting in selective activity against BChE with an IC50 value of 31.3 ± 3.0 μg/mL (positive control: donepezil, IC50 = 3.6 μg/mL).
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia L.) is one of the world's top 15 most traded essential oil plants. Lavender oil is obtained from lavender which is widely used as an independent alternative medication as well as a component in medicine and cosmetic products. Lavender oils include over 100 chemicals, with linalool and linalyl acetate being the two most prominent. Furthermore, it also contains phytosterols, coumaric acid, anthocyanins, monosaccharides, valeric acid, glycolic acid and its esters, ursolic acid, coumarin, and herniarin. These components are beneficial for human health due to their functional and nutraceutical properties. Moreover, lavender oil has many nutritional and therapeutic effects, i.e., antiinflammatory, antioxidant, hypnotic, antidepressant, anticonvulsive, antihair fall, antimicrobial, and antifibrotic. Due to its antimicrobial activity, it is also used as preservative agent in many food products. Furthermore, it is also used in many food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries as a functional ingredient. In this chapter, we discussed the historical background, production, nutritional composition, and therapeutic potential of lavender oil.
Bu çalışmada, Türkiye florasında doğal olarak yetişen ve zengin fitokimyasal içeriği sayesinde geleneksel halk tıbbında yaygın olarak kullanılan Clinopodium serpyllifolium subsp. serpyllifolium bitkisinin sitotoksik, antiproliferatif ve apoptotik aktivitelerinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla, bitkinin çiçek ve gövde kısımlarından su (dH2O) ve %70’lik etanol (C2H5OH-EtOH) çözücüleri kullanılarak ekstraktlar elde edilmiştir. Farklı ekstraktların antikanser, antiproliferizasyon ve DNA hasarı gelişimi üzerine apoptotik aktiviteleri; A549, H1299, C6 ve HUVEC hücrelerine karşı sırasıyla MTT, tripan mavisi ve immünolojik temelli ELISA yöntemleri kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Bitki ekstrelerinin, çalışılan kanser hücre hatlarının her üçünde de hücrelerdeki canlılık oranlarını azaltarak, hücreleri ölüme teşvik ettiği saptanmıştır. Ekstreler, en yüksek aktiviteyi A549 akciğer karsinoma hücrelerine karşı; en düşük aktiviteyi ise C6 beyin glioma hücreleri üzerine göstermiştir. Sonuç olarak, C. serpyllifolium bitkisinin çiçek ve gövde kısımlarının fitokimyasal içeriğinin belirlenmesi ve bitkinin antikanser drog olarak kullanımına yönelik farmakolojik ve klinik çalışmaların yapılması gerekmektedir.
Central cholinergic pathway is involved in learning and memory. The creation of severe cholinergic deficits due to neurodegenerative disorders resulting in cognitive impairment contribute to symptomatic cholinergic therapy. Inhibition of brain cholinesterase serves as a strategy for treating several cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), senile dementia, ataxia, myasthenia gravis, glaucoma, and Parkinson's disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors are the drugs for the management of AD types of dementia. The chapter highlights Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors from plants and the phytoconstituents responsible.
Background
In herbal medicine, Centaurea are used in the treatment of many diseases such as dizziness, headaches, reduce inflammatory pain and liver disease. The roots of Centaurea acaulis and Centaurea pullata have not yet been studied for biological properties.
Objective
The aim of this research was to evaluate the chemical composition and the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties of hexane extracts of Centaurea acaulis and Centaurea pullata roots, and their major component, aplotaxene.
Method
The hexane extract was prepared by the maceration process and identified by GC and GC-MS. Aplotaxene was isolated by flash chromatography. The Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH, the β-carotene bleaching and FRAP methods. Anti-inflammatory effect was assessed by egg albumin denaturation assay and the neuroprotective activity was assessed against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE).
Results
The chemical composition of hexane extract of Centaurea pullata was mainly represented by non-terpenic compounds such as Aplotaxene (80.3%), while, hexane extract of Centaurea acaulis was characterized by high levels of Aplotaxene (56.9%), 9-oxabicyclo(6,1,0)nonane (9.2%), Caryophyllene oxide (8.3%) and Isocaryophyllene (6.0%). The hexane extracts of the two Centaurea showed very good antioxidant activities with all three methods. Aplotaxene has shown excellent antioxidant activity compared to BHT and ascorbic acid. Centaurea acaulis hexane extract showed very high anti-inflammatory activity with an IC50 of 0.76 mg/L in the egg albumin denaturation test compared to diclofenac (IC50 of 1.01 mg/L). The extract of Centaurea pullata and Aplotaxene showed an interesting anti-inflammatory activity with IC50s of 1.72 and 1.36 mg/L, but which remains lower than that of diclofenac sodium. The neuroprotective activity of Centurea pullata and Centaurea acaulis extracts, and Aplotaxene did not show inhibition against AChE, whereas they inhibited BChE with IC50 values of 92.3, 583, and 81.5 mg/L, respectively.
Conclusion
Further analysis is still needed to further demonstrate the biological efficacy of Centaurea acaulis and Centaurea pullata extracts and Aplotaxene.
Considering the increase of the elderly population in recent years, the growing prevalence of age-related neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), has become one of the leading healthcare problems. Currently, available therapies for AD and PD are still limited, while medicinal plants used in traditional medicine for millennia can inhibit enzymes involved in the neurodegeneration processes in AD (acetylcholinesterase, AChE, and butyrylcholinesterase, BChE) and PD (tyrosinase, TYR), hence their inhibiting effects are continuously being investigated especially in the past decade. This study was aimed to review data on medicinal plants as potential cholinesterases and TYR inhibitors reported from January 2018 until May 2021. The literature search was performed using several online bibliographical databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, and ResearchGate) and two websites. Data analysis showed that the highest number of representatives belongs to Lamiaceae family (up to 20 %), followed by Asteraceae. Almost half of the tested samples were prepared from whole plant/aerial plant parts followed by leaves. The most frequently tested preparations were methanolic extracts (about 25 % of the samples examined). Additionally, synergistic interactions between different herbs and/or isolated compounds were considered as a promising strategy for further research. The presented data showed that medicinal plants preparations represent an unlimited source for research of new and more effective AD and PD treatments. This review will provide a useful starting point for further research on this topic.
In this study, it was aimed to investigate the chemical composition and biological activities including antioxidant, anticholinesterase, antimicrobial and urease activity of Nigella sativa seed oil growing in Muğla (Köyceğiz). The oil of plant was obtained using Soxhlet apparatus. Thirty-one components of the oil were determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The major components of oil were detected as palmitic acid (10.48%), linoleic acid (8.05%), o-cyemene (7.11%), 3,5-dimethyl cyclohexanol (6.68%), thymoquinone (6.44%), p-tert-buthyl catechol (6.28%) and 8-methyl-1-undecene (3.28%). The findings obtained from biological activity assays showed that Nigella sativa oil was a promising candidate that can be used in the discovery of new drugs and the preparation of new natural drug preparations.
Abstract
Campomanesia aurea O. Berg is a native plant of the biome Pampa, which belongs to the family Myrtaceae. The present study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and antibiofilme activity of the essential oil of Campomanesia aurea (EOCA) against Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19114, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Salmonella enteritidis ATCC 13076 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. An analysis of the chemical composition of the EOCA was realized through gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The analysis for in vitro evaluation of the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity was realized by determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and that of the antibiofilm through utilization of 96-well plates with crystal violet, respectively. The action of standard (E)–nerolidol (major compound of the EOCA) was also tested. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of the sesquiterpene (E)-nerolidol (56.04%) as the main compound in the EOCA. Antimicrobial activity of the EOCA against L. monocytogenes (MIC 5.0 mg mL−1) and S. aureus (MIC 0.7 mg mL−1) was observed. Inhibition of biofilm formation against L. monocytogenes, S. aureus and S. enteritidis could be observed for EOCA and (E)-nerolidol. The results demonstrate that the EOCA was efficient against inhibition of biofilm formation for most of the tested pathogens.
Purpose: To investigate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of Micromeria fruticosa Druce (L.) Druce ssp Serpyllifolia F. Lamiaceae (MF) extract and to correlate its phenolic composition of the biological activities. Methods: Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was employed for the identification and quantification of phenolics. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging potential of the four extracts, namely, ethanol, methanol, acetone, and ethyl acetate, were assessed. The hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities were evaluated against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Antioxidant status in the liver was assessed by determining the activities of some antioxidative enzymes, namely, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and the levels of thiobarbutaric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Results: RP-HPLC analysis revealed high contents of quercitrin, rosmarinic and ferulic acid. The four extracts were potent DPPH free radical scavengers. Administration of the ethanol extract to the animals twice daily for 14 days did not show any evidence of hepatotoxicity. CCl4 caused a marked increase in TBARS and significant decrease in CAT, GSH-Px and SOD levels, but this was reversed by the ethanol extract. Conclusion: The ethanol extract of Micromeria fruticosa (L) may have a palliative effect in liver injuries and this is probably due to the antioxidant properties of the plant's polyphenolic content.
The genus micromeria is one of the most widespread plant families in the "old world". Its subspecies, especially Micromeria fruticosa, havebeen used by humans for thousands of years. The plant(s), its extracts and its chemical ingredients are reviewed in this article for theirreported medicinal/biological activities. In addition, the traditional medicine and ethnobotanical uses are briefly presented.
Background
Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) related to Alzheimer’s disease as well as tyrosinase (TYR) relevant to Parkinson’s disease is an important approach to find novel drug candidates for these diseases. Methods
The extracts from fourteen plant species in various polarities were subjected to high-throughput screening against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and tyrosinase (TYR), the key enzymes related to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The extracts were subjected to the microtiter enzyme inhibition assays at 100 μg mL-1. Antioxidant effect of the extracts was tested for their scavenging activity against DPPH, DMPD, and NO radicals as well as their ferric- (FRAP) and phosphomolibdenum-reducing power (PRAP) and metal-chelation capacity. Total phenol and flavonoid quantities in the extracts were determined spectrophotometrically. HPLC analysis was performed on Atriplex lasiantha, Conringia grandiflora, and Vaccaria hispanica. ResultsThe active extracts inhibiting AChE over 50 % were Centaurium erythraea subsp. rhodense (51.33 ± 3.35 %) and Posidonia oceanica (61.88 ± 2.23 %), while BChE was inhibited most effectively by the root extract of P. oceanica (82.55 ± 2.14 %), followed by Origanum haussknechtii (66.88 ± 0.17 %), which also had the highest inhibition toward TYR (35.28 ± 1.90 %). The extracts from Zostera noltii, P. oceanica, and Ricotia carnosula possessed the best DPPH scavenging activity, whereas Z. noltii caused the highest NO scavenging activity (70.19 ± 0.43 %) and FRAP (1.326 ± 0.065). Atriplex lasiantha and Ecballium elaterium had the strongest effect in PRAP and metal-chelation assays, respectively. Besides, A. lasiantha was found to be a rich source of rutin. Conclusion
Among the screened plants, Centaurium erythraea subsp. rhodense and Origanum haussknechtii, and the roots of Posidonia oceanica seems to deserve further investigation for their neuroprotective potential.
We have tested acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities of nineteen essential oils obtained from cultivated plants, namely one from Anethum graveolens L. (organic fertilizer), two from Foeniculum vulgare Mill. collected at fully-mature and flowering stages (organic fertilizer), two from Melissa officinalis L. (cultivated using organic and chemical fertilizers), two from Mentha piperia L. and M. spicata L. (organic fertilizer), two from Lavandula officinalis Chaix ex Villars (Cultivated using organic and chemical fertilizers), two from Ocimum basilicum L. (green and purple-leaf varieties cultivated using only organic fertilizer), four from Origanum onites L., O. vulgare L., O. munitiflorum Hausskn., and O. majorana L. (cultivated using organic fertilizer), two from Salvia sclarea L. (organic and chemical fertilizers), one from S officinalis L. (organic fertilizer), and one from Satureja cuneifolia Ten. (organic fertilizer) by a spectrophotometric 1 mg/ml concentration. In addition, a method of Ellman using ELISA microplate-reader at 1 mg/ml number of single components widely encountered in most of the essential oils [gamma-terpinene, 4-allyl anisole, (-)-carvone, dihydrocarvone. (-)-phencone, cuminyl alcohol, cumol, 4-isopropyl benzaldehyde, trans-anethole, camphene, iso-borneol, (-)-borne0l, L-bornyl acetate. 2-decanol, 2-heptanol, methyl-heptanol, farnesol, nerol, iso-pulegol, 1,8-cineole, citral, citronellal, citronellol, geraniol, linalool, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, piperitone, iso-menthone. menthofurane, linalyl oxide, linalyl ester, geranyl ester, carvacrol, thymol, menthol, vanilline, and eugenol] was also screened for the same activity in the same manner. Almost all of the essential oils showed a very high inhibitory activity (over 80%) against both enzymes, whereas the single components were not as active as the essential oils.
Background
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder clinically characterized by loss of memory and cognition. Cholinergic deficit and oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathogenesis of AD. Therefore, inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and oxidation are the two promising strategies in the development of drug for AD. Phyllanthus acidus, belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae, is a tree and has been used in traditional medicine to treat several pain, inflammatory and oxidative stress related disorders such as rheumatism, bronchitis, asthma, respiratory disorder, also important to promote intellect and enhance memory, thus supporting its possible anti-Alzheimer’s properties. In this study, P. acidus was evaluated for its cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant activities.
Methods
In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant potential and neuroprotective activity of P. acidus by assessing total phenol content (FCR assay), total flavonoid content, total antioxidant capacity, Fe3+ reducing power capacity, DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity, lipid peroxidation inhibition activity & metal chelating activity. In addition acetylcholinestrase (AChE) and butyrylcholinestrase (BChE) inhibitory activities were performed using Ellman’s method.
Results
Total phenolic content and total flavonoid content of the extract were 116.98 mg of gallic acid equivalent and 168.24 mg of quercetin equivalent per gm of dried extract. The methanolic extract of P. acidus (MEPA) showed considerable total antioxidant activity and reducing capacity. In DPPH scavenging assay and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, the MEPA showed 84.33 % and 77.21 % scavenging having IC50 of 15.62 and 59.74 μg/ml respectively. In lipid peroxidation inhibition activity MEPA showed moderate inhibition of peroxidation at all concentrations with IC50 value of 471.63 μg/ml and exhibited metal chelating activity with IC50 value 308.67 μg/ml. The MEPA exhibited inhibition of rat brain acetylcholinesterase and human blood butyrylcholinesterase in a dose dependent manner and the IC50 value was found to be 1009.87 μg/ml and 449.51 μg/ml respectively.
Conclusion
These results of the present study reveal that MEPA has considerable amount of antioxidant activity as well as anti-acetylcholinesterase and anti-butyrylcholinesterase activity which suggest its effectiveness against Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Obesity is recognized as a major life style disorder especially in developing countries and it is prevailing at an alarming speed in new world countries due to fast food intake, industrialization, and reduction of physical activity. Furthermore, it is associated with a vast number of chronic diseases and disabilities. To date, relatively effective drugs, from either natural or synthetic sources, are generally associated with serious side effects, often leading to cessation of clinical trials or even withdrawal from the market. In order to find new compounds which are more effective or with less adverse effects compared to orlistat, the drug that has been approved for obesity, new compounds isolated from natural products are being identified and screened for antiobesity effects, in particular, for their pancreatic lipase inhibitory effect. Pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity has been extensively used for the determination of potential efficacy of natural products as antiobesity agents. In attempts to identify natural products for overcoming obesity, more researches have been focused on the identification of newer pancreatic lipase inhibitors with less unpleasant adverse effects. In this review, we consider the potential role of plants that have been investigated for their pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity.
Background: Due to its unique geography, and diverse climate zones, Palestine has a large variety of native plants. However, local species have not been systematically screened for their biological activities. Methods: Plant samples were collected from 76 natural sites distributed in different geographical and climate zones. Samples were assessed for thirteen types of anti-disease/health protection activity using fielddeployable
bioassays based on the Screen to Nature (STN) technique developed by the Global Institute of BioExploration (GIBEX). Plant extracts were assessed for medicinal activity on a scale of 0 (no activity) to 3 (most potent). Results: More than 1470 plant samples derived from 588 plant species belonging to 100 families were
screened. Approximately 329 species (56%) belonged to 12 families, notably the Papilionaseae, Asteraceae, Liliaceae, Lamiaceae, Brassicaceae, and Apiaceae families. About 93% (1369/1471) of the extracts showed at least one high-potency bioactivity (3/3); 16.4% (241/1471) extracts exhibited 4-5 antiinfectious activities.
Plants growing in areas with more extreme conditions (Irano-Turanian and Sudanian Penetration Territories) showed more bioactivity compared to those in less harsh climates (Mediterranean Territory) Antiradical activity, glucosidase inhibition, amylase inhibition, planaria lethality, and glucosidase activity were most common; antibacterial, antifungal, protozoa lethality, protease inhibition, planaria regeneration, anthocyanin,
round worm lethality, and protease activity were also seen. Conclusions: The Screen to Nature (STN) technique enables rapid, accurate field deployable screening of diverse plant species for multiple anti-infectious/health protection activities. By using this technique several plant samples were identified as
plants with potential to serve as a source of biological material for medicinal purposes.
The total phenolic and flavonoidal content of the ethanolic extract of
Micromeria fruticosa was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu (FC) and aluminum chloride spectrophotometric methods. Quantitative High Performance Liquid Chromatograp hy (HPLC) was used for the identification and quantification of each phenolic compound present in the extract. Chlorgenic acid, Naringenin, quercetin and ellagic acid were found to be the major phenolic compounds of the extract. The antioxidant activity of the extract was tested using the DPPH scavenging assay. The extract has shown a strong scavenging activity with an IC50 = 50 μg/mL compared to the synthetic antioxidant Butylated HydroxyToluene (BHT) (IC50 = 91.40 μg/mL).
The antimicrobial activity was carried out using screening test and broth micro dilution method
againstStaphylococcus aureas (ATCC 6538), Esherichia coli (ATCC 8739) Pseudomonas aureginosa
(ATCC 9027) Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) and pathogenic Aspirigillus niger. The extract has
shown a significant antimicrobial activity against all of the tested micro organisms with the strongest
activity against Staphylococcus aureus that was close to that of imipenem and much more than that of
ampicillin.
The present study aimed to investigate whether olive leaf extract (OLE) prevents high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Mice were randomly divided into groups that received a chow diet (CD), HFD, or 0.15% OLE-supplemented diet (OLD) for 8 weeks. OLD-fed mice showed significantly reduced body weight gain, visceral fat-pad weights, and plasma lipid levels as compared with HFD-fed mice. OLE significantly reversed the HFD-induced upregulation of WNT10b- and galanin-mediated signaling molecules and key adipogenic genes (PPAR γ , C/EBP α , CD36, FAS, and leptin) in the epididymal adipose tissue of HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, the HFD-induced downregulation of thermogenic genes involved in uncoupled respiration (SIRT1, PGC1 α , and UCP1) and mitochondrial biogenesis (TFAM, NRF-1, and COX2) was also significantly reversed by OLE. These results suggest that OLE exerts beneficial effects against obesity by regulating the expression of genes involved in adipogenesis and thermogenesis in the visceral adipose tissue of HFD-fed mice.
The chemical composition of the essential oil from the aerial parts of Micromeria
fruticosa (Lamiaceae) growing wild in Lebanon was analyzed. A number ofsamples
were collected in the months of July (full flowering stage) and October. Thereafter,
the essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. A total of
nineteen and seventeen compounds were identified in each sample respectively,
representing 92.41% and 87.8% of the total compounds of the essential oil (EO) in
each sample respectively. A significant seasonal variation in the composition of the
essential oil and their concentrations was observed.
Importance:
Thirty-six percent of US adults are obese, and many cannot lose sufficient weight to improve health with lifestyle interventions alone.
Objective:
To conduct a systematic review of medications currently approved in the United States for obesity treatment in adults. We also discuss off-label use of medications studied for obesity and provide considerations for obesity medication use in clinical practice.
Evidence review:
A PubMed search from inception through September 2013 was performed to find meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and randomized, placebo-controlled trials for currently approved obesity medications lasting at least 1 year that had a primary or secondary outcome of body weight change, included at least 50 participants per group, reported at least 50% retention, and reported results on an intention-to-treat basis. Studies of medications approved for other purposes but tested for obesity treatment were also reviewed.
Findings:
Obesity medications approved for long-term use, when prescribed with lifestyle interventions, produce additional weight loss relative to placebo ranging from approximately 3% of initial weight for orlistat and lorcaserin to 9% for top-dose (15/92 mg) phentermine plus topiramate-extended release at 1 year. The proportion of patients achieving clinically meaningful (at least 5%) weight loss ranges from 37% to 47% for lorcaserin, 35% to 73% for orlistat, and 67% to 70% for top-dose phentermine plus topiramate-extended release. All 3 medications produce greater improvements in many cardiometabolic risk factors than placebo, but no obesity medication has been shown to reduce cardiovascular morbidity or mortality. Most prescriptions are for noradrenergic medications, despite their approval only for short-term use and limited data for their long-term safety and efficacy.
Conclusions and relevance:
Medications approved for long-term obesity treatment, when used as an adjunct to lifestyle intervention, lead to greater mean weight loss and an increased likelihood of achieving clinically meaningful 1-year weight loss relative to placebo. By discontinuing medication in patients who do not respond with weight loss of at least 5%, clinicians can decrease their patients' exposure to the risks and costs of drug treatment when there is little prospect of long-term benefit.
Micromeria fruticosa is used widely in many Mediterranean regions for various inflammatory conditions. The aim of this work was to assess the anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities of the aqueous extract of Micromeria fruticosa. The aqueous extract of Micromeria fruticosa was tested orally in mice at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg in carrageenan-induced paw edema, vascular permeability, myeloperoxidase activity (MPO) and indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration. In the paw edema model, the extract at dose of 200 mg/ kg, exhibited a significant anti-inflammatory effect, while the extract at 100 and 200 mg/kg reduced significantly the vascular permeability and MPO activity in a dose dependant manner. Oral pretreatment of the aqueous extract reduced significantly the development of gastric lesions induced by indomethacin at dose of 200 mg/kg only. Results suggest that the aqueous extract of Micromeria fruticosa has both anti-inflammatory as well as, gastroprotective activities. Thus it could be used as an alternative or supplementary herbal remedy for the treatment of inflammatory diseases especially when combined with strong anti-inflammatory medications that have ulcerogenic side effects such as NSAIDs.
Feeding deterrent activity of some enantiomeric pairs of terpenoid lactones with the p-menthane system was tested against larval and adult Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say). The lactones were synthesized from optically pure isomers of pulegone and isopulegol. Monoterpene ketones and alcohols with the p-menthane system were weak antifeedants toward both Colorado potato beetle developmental stages. The introduction of the lactone moiety and an accessory functional group (hydroxy or ketone group) into the p-menthane skeleton increased feeding deterrent activity of the compounds. Our results show a correlation between chemical structure and antifeedant activity and indicated that the sensitivity of Colorado potato beetle to the tested lactones depends on the chiral centers configuration and the developmental stage of insects tested.
Micromeria fruticosa L Druce subsp. serpyllifolia is a medicinal herb that is widely used as folk medicine in the treatment of abdominal pains, diarrhea, eye infections, heart disorders, elevated blood pressure, colds and wounds. This study aims to investigation the constituents and biological activity of the essential oil and aqueous extract of the plant that had been collected from Nablus. The oil was prepared by hydro-distillation method and analyzed by GC/MS. The oxygenated constituents were prevalent (87.4%) with the pulegone (58.5%) was the major constituents. Antitumor and analgesic activities of the isolated oil and the aqueous extract of M. fruticosa were investigated. Both the oil and the aqueous extract exhibited marked antitumor activities against Human Colon Tumor cells (HCT) and Mammary Carcinoma F7 (MCF7). The oil showed less IC(50s) against both cell lines (10, 12.7 μg/ml respectively). Also the extract significantly inhibited acetic acid-induced writhing response (p<0.05) and increased hot-plate pain threshold of mice at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg while the oil did not show any analgesic activity on both models. Therefore, we concluded that the aqueous extract of M. fruticosa has a remarkable inhibitory activity in non-inflammatory reactions as well as inflammatory pain.
The commercial essential oils of Citrus aurantium L., Cupressus sempervirens L., Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and Thymus vulgaris L., isolated by steam distillation by a company of Morocco were evaluated in terms of in vitro antioxidant activity through several methods. In vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity was also determined. Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. oil was also studied, but it was obtained by peel expression. The best antioxidant was T. vulgaris oil, independent of the method used, mainly due to the presence of the phenolic monoterpenes thymol and carvacrol, which when studied as single compounds also presented the best activities. Concerning the acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity, E. globulus was the most effective. Nevertheless its main components 1,8-cineole and limonene were not the most active, a feature that corresponded to d-3-carene.
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is the main enzyme for the breakdown of acetylcholine. Nowadays, usage of the inhibitors of this enzyme is one of the most important types of treatment of mild to moderate neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Herbal medicines can be a new source of inhibitors of this enzyme. In this study we examined around 100 different plants to evaluate their inhibitory properties for AChE enzyme. Plants were scientifically identified and their extracts were prepared by methanol percolation. Acetylcholinesterase activity was measured using a colorimetric method in the presence or absence of the extracts. Eserine was used as a positive control. Methanol extracts of the Levisticum officinale, Bergeris integrima and Rheum ribes showed more than 50% AChE inhibitory activity. The inhibition kinetics were studied in the presence of the most effective extracts. L. officinale and B. integrima inhibited AChE activity in a non-competitive manner, while R. ribes competitively inhibitied the enzyme as revealed by double-reciprocal Linweaver-Burk plot analysis. Under controlled condition, K(m) and V(max) values of the enzyme were found to be 9.4 mM and 0.238 mM/min, respectively. However, in the presence of L. officinale, B. integrima, and R. ribes extracts, V(max) values were 0.192, 0.074 and 0.238 mM/min, respectively. Due to the competitive inhibition of the enzyme by R. ribes extract, the K(m) value of 21.2 mM was obtained. The concentration required for 50% enzyme inhibition (IC50 value) was 0.5, 0.9, and 0.95 mg/ml for the L. officinale, B. integrima and R. ribes extracts, respectively. The IC50 of the eserine was determined to be 0.8 mg/ml.
Hoodia gordonii is a spiny succulent plant popularly consumed for its purported anti-obesity effect. Traditionally used by the Khoi-San of South Africa and Namibia as a hunger and thirst suppressant while on long hunting trips, the commercialisation of this plant has been highly controversial due to intellectual property rights and benefit sharing issues, as well as the fact that several prominent pharmaceutical companies involved in its development have withdrawn their interest. Quality control has been the main focus of scientific studies as the supply of H. gordonii plant material is limited due to its sparse geographical distribution, slow maturation rate, need for a permit to cultivate or export material as well as high public demand, contributing to adulteration of a large amount of products. Despite the isolation of numerous steroidal glycosides from H. gordonii, the main focus has been on the pregnane glycoside P57, considered to be the active ingredient and marker molecule to determine quality of raw material and products. Publications based on scientific studies of key aspects such as in vivo biopharmaceutics, the biological activity of all chemical constituents, clinical efficacy, and especially safety are insufficient or completely absent causing great concern as H. gordonii is one of the most widely consumed anti-obesity products of natural origin. This review offers an up-to-date overview of all the current available knowledge pertaining to H. gordonii achieved by systematic analysis of the available literature.
Abstract
The health benefits of green tea for a wide variety of ailments, including different types of cancer, heart disease, and liver disease, were reported. Many of these beneficial effects of green tea are related to its catechin, particularly (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, content. There is evidence from in vitro and animal studies on the underlying mechanisms of green tea catechins and their biological actions. There are also human studies on using green tea catechins to treat metabolic syndrome, such as obesity, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular risk factors.
Long-term consumption of tea catechins could be beneficial against high-fat diet-induced obesity and type II diabetes and could reduce the risk of coronary disease. Further research that conforms to international standards should be performed to monitor the pharmacological and clinical effects of green tea and to elucidate its mechanisms of action.
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors are widely used for the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) to enhance central cholinergic transmission. On the other hand, butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) inhibitors were reported to produce a significant increase in brain extracellular AChE without triggering severe peripheral or central side effects. In the present study, we selected twelve plants used in traditional European medicine to treat different central nervous system (CNS) disorders or to improve memory. Methanolic and hexane extracts of these plants were tested for the AChE and BuChE inhibitory activity using Ellman's colorimetric method. The most potent AChE and BuChE inhibition was observed in the hexane extracts of the flowers of Arnica chamissonis Less. subs. foliosa and Ruta graveolens L. herb at a concentration of 400 microg mL(-1). However, methanolic extracts of the flowers of Arnica chamissonis Less. subs. foliosa and the Hypericum perforatum L. herb demonstrated at the same concentration, selective inhibition only against AChE but not against BuChE. The other extracts did not show any significant AChE or BuChE inhibitory activity. Our results show that further investigations of the extracts of arnica, rue and St. John's Wort are needed to identity the compounds responsible for the AChE and BuChE inhibitory activity.
Labiatae family is well represented in Iran by 46 genera and 410 species and subspecies. Many members of this family are used in traditional and folk medicine. Also they are used as culinary and ornamental plants. There are no distinct references on the ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology of the family in Iran and most of the publications and documents related to the uses of these species are both in Persian and not comprehensive. In this article wereviewed all the available publication on this family. Also documentation from unpublished resources and ethnobotanical surveys has been included. Based on our literature search, out of the total number of the Labiatae family in Iran, 18% of the species are used for medicinal purposes. Leaves are the most used plant parts. Medicinal applications are classified into 13 main categories. A number of pharmacological and experimental studies have been reviewed, which confirm some of the traditional applications and also show the headline for future works on this family.
We have tested acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities of nineteen essential oils obtained from cultivated plants, namely one from Anethum graveolens L. (organic fertilizer), two from Foeniculum vulgare Mill. collected at fully-mature and flowering stages (organic fertilizer), two from Melissa officinalis L. (cultivated using organic and chemical fertilizers), two from Mentha piperita L. and M. spicata L. (organic fertilizer), two from Lavandula officinalis Chaix ex Villars (cultivated using organic and chemical fertilizers), two from Ocimum basilicum L. (green and purple-leaf varieties cultivated using only organic fertilizer), four from Origanum onites L., O. vulgare L., O. munitiflorum Hausskn., and O. majorana L. (cultivated using organic fertilizer), two from Salvia sclarea L. (organic and chemical fertilizers), one from S. officinalis L. (organic fertilizer), and one from Satureja cuneifolia Ten. (organic fertilizer) by a spectrophotometric method of Ellman using ELISA microplate-reader at 1 mg/ml concentration. In addition, a number of single components widely encountered in most of the essential oils [gamma-terpinene, 4-allyl anisole, (-)-carvone, dihydrocarvone, (-)-phencone, cuminyl alcohol, cumol, 4-isopropyl benzaldehyde, trans-anethole, camphene, iso-borneol, (-)-borneol, L-bornyl acetate, 2-decanol, 2-heptanol, methyl-heptanol, farnesol, nerol, iso-pulegol, 1,8-cineole, citral, citronellal, citronellol, geraniol, linalool, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, piperitone, iso-menthone, menthofurane, linalyl oxide, linalyl ester, geranyl ester, carvacrol, thymol, menthol, vanilline, and eugenol] was also screened for the same activity in the same manner. Almost all of the essential oils showed a very high inhibitory activity (over 80%) against both enzymes, whereas the single components were not as active as the essential oils.
ABSTRACT
Environmental conditions, including irrigation water quality, are known to affect secondary metabolite production in plants and hence the composition and activity of essential oils of aromatic plants. The aim of this
study is to evaluate the effect of irrigation with secondary-treated effluent, as compared with potable water
irrigation, on the composition, biological activities and yield of essential oil (EO) from Origanum syriacum L. var.
syriacum (OSS). The EO from OSS cultivated in Palestine under secondary treated municipal effluent compared
with potable water irrigation were analyzed seasonally over a two-year period for oil quantity and composition,
antioxidant activities 1,1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2 azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazloine-6-sulfonic
acid) radical cation (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), antimicrobial and inhibitory properties
against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL). The
quality of the irrigation water did not affect the essential oil yield quantity and quality demonstrating the
potential of this marginal water source for agri-industrial production of OSS. Under both irrigation water
qualities, the EO contained 35 constituents, of which thymol (40.4–46.7%), and carvacrol (35.1–41.8%) were
the most abundant. EOs from plants of both irrigation water qualities exhibited a strong free radical scavenging
ability and reducing power activity, and high AChE, BChE, and PPL inhibitory activities. The EOs also showed a
moderate antibacterial activity against most test bacterial strains, with high antibacterial activity against
Staphylococcus aureus with 117 percent inhibition compared with chloramphenicol (30 μg/disc). The high inhibitory activity of the EOs on AChE, BChE, and PPL, and its high antioxidant and antibacterial activities may be due to high concentrations of monoterpenes, especially thymol and carvacrol. The data demonstrate that secondary-treated municipal effluents can be successfully utilized for irrigation of industrial crop production setups for essential oil production from OSS (as a source of natural antioxidants, anticholinesterase, antiobesity and antistaphylococcal agents) without compromising yield quantity and bioactivities compared with potable water irrigation.
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Obesity is a significant risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease and diabetes and it is also associated with many other medical conditions including cancer, liver and kidney diseases, sleep apnea, and depression. The inhibition of dietary fat absorption is a logical target for managing obesity and pancreatic lipase is a key enzyme involved in triglyceride absorption in the small intestine. Inhibitors of intestine lipases are suggested to function as antiobesity agents. Recently, studies have been intensified for new lipase inhibitors in natural resources with minimal adverse effect. In this view, attempts are made in the present study to evaluate antiobesity, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of four medicinal plants namely Acorus calamus, Alpinia galanga, Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Piper cubeba. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that total phenol content was more in Piper cubeba, lipase inhibitory activity was high in Acorus calamus, DPPH radical scavenging activity was more in Cinnamomum zeylanicum, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and stabilization of RBC membrane was maximum for the extract of Alpinia galanga. Hence, preparation of herbal formulation using the investigated plant drugs will leads to the development of effective anti-obese drug. © 2016, International Journal of Toxicological and Pharmacological Research. All rights reserved.
The ability of the human gastrointestinal tract to digest protein was first demonstrated by Spallanzani in 1783. He showed that if he swallowed some meat enclosed in a muslin bag, and then withdrew the bag from his stomach sometime later, then the meat had ‘dissolved’. This was essentially the first demonstration of the action of the proteolytic enzyme pepsin.
The Holy Land has a long history of settlement by many different nations, cultures and religions, as well as a long tradition of using plants for culinary, medicinal and liturgical purposes. This chapter describes a selected list of promising local Medicinal Aromatic Plants (MAP) from this region. The focus is on the most important native MAP and on their potential as new cultivated modern crops. The large climatic variations of this region, present in a relatively small area, create a wide range of natural habitats and high biodiversity of wild plants. Due to the geographical location of this area, which is in the meeting of four phyto-geographical regions, there is a rich diversity of herbaceous plants. Part of the common MAP in the Holy Land vicinity are endemic to this area, such as Micromeria fruticosa, Origanum dayi, O. ramonense, O. syriacumvar syriacum, Chiliadenus iphionoides and Salvia domenica. The rest are local ecotypes of a wider dispersion area, such as Salvia fruticosa, Artemisia judaica, Achillea fragrantissima, Asteriscus graveolens, Coridothymus capitatus, Foeniculum vulgare and Mentha longifolia. Cultivation of medicinal plants that were traditionally collected from the wild is necessary both for protection of plant species in their native habitats, and as a response to the increased demand for uniform high-quality sources of medicinal herbs.
The essential oils of six wild Israeli species of the Labiatae family were studied. The main components in the oils of Majorana syriaca, Coridothymus capitatus, Satureja thymbra, Salvia fruticosa, Salvia dominica and Micromeria fruticosa were identified. Two phenolic chemotypes, one containing thymol, the other one carvacrol, were found in Majorana syriaca and Coridothymus capitatus. The hydrodistilled oils were analyzed by means of GLC and GC-MS. Identification of individual compounds isolated from the oils by fractional distillation and preparative GC was carried out by IR spectroscopy.
Micromeria fruticosa is a perennial medicinal plant grown in the rocky areas of the Mediterranean region. A study was conducted to determine the effects of five different intra-row spacings on essential oil content, essential oil composition, herbage and essential oil yield of M. fruticosa. The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. Essential oil content was not affected significantly by intra-row spacings. More than 20 compounds were identified in each intra-row spacing. Monoterpene ketones constitute most of the essential oil of M. fruticosa. Pulegone (>57%) was the major component followed by wo-menthone (>15%) and piperitenone (>7%). Herbage and essential oil yield/ha were increased with the decreasing of intra row spacing. It was concluded that M. fruticosa could be planted at 60 × 15 cm spacing distance to have maximum herbage and essential oil yield.
A method for the screening of antioxidant activity is reported as a decolorization assay applicable to both lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidants, including flavonoids, hydroxycinnamates, carotenoids, and plasma antioxidants. The pre-formed radical monocation of 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS*+) is generated by oxidation of ABTS with potassium persulfate and is reduced in the presence of such hydrogen-donating antioxidants. The influences of both the concentration of antioxidant and duration of reaction on the inhibition of the radical cation absorption are taken into account when determining the antioxidant activity. This assay clearly improves the original TEAC assay (the ferryl myoglobin/ABTS assay) for the determination of antioxidant activity in a number of ways. First, the chemistry involves the direct generation of the ABTS radical monocation with no involvement of an intermediary radical. Second, it is a decolorization assay; thus the radical cation is pre-formed prior to addition of antioxidant test systems, rather than the generation of the radical taking place continually in the presence of the antioxidant. Hence the results obtained with the improved system may not always be directly comparable with those obtained using the original TEAC assay. Third, it is applicable to both aqueous and lipophilic systems.
Tea, a popular beverage made from leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis, has been shown to reduce body weight, alleviate metabolic syndrome, and prevent diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in animal models and humans. Such beneficial effects have generally been observed in most human studies when the level of tea consumption was 3 to 4 cups (600-900 mg tea catechins) or more per day. Green tea is more effective than black tea. In spite of numerous studies, the fundamental mechanisms for these actions still remain unclear. From a review of the literature, we propose that the two major mechanisms are: 1) decreasing absorption of lipids and proteins by tea constituents in the intestine, thus reducing calorie intake; and 2) activating AMPK by tea polyphenols that are bioavailable in the liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissues. The relative importance of these two mechanisms depends on the types of tea and diet consumed by individuals. The activated AMPK would decrease gluconeogenesis and fatty acid synthesis and increase catabolism, leading to body weight reduction and MetS alleviation. Other mechanisms and the health relevance of these beneficial effects of tea consumption remain to be further investigated. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Essential oils were extracted fromMajorana syriaca, Satureja thymbra, Micromeria fruticosa, andSalvia triloba, and their volatile fractions were tested for their antifungal activity against the soil-borne pathogensFusarium oxysporum andMacrophomina phaseolina and the foliar pathogensBotrytis cinerea andExserohilum turcicum. Results showed a fungistatic effect of 1, 2.5, and 5μl of the various essential oils on fungal mycelium growth. The most significant effect was exerted by essential oils extracted fromM. syriaca, which inhibited the growth ofB. cinerea by 44% and of all the other fungi tested by 100%.
To explore the frequency of CAM use among hypertensive patients in Palestine, determine demographic characteristics that may increase the likelihood of CAM use and to find out how benefits were perceived by patients.
Across-sectional survey of patients attending outpatient hypertension clinics. The method was based on a semi-structured questionnaire.
Of the 4575 hypertensive patients interviewed, 85.7% respondents used at least one type of CAM. Of the 3921 CAM users, 62.13% reported taking herbs. Most of these users were >50 years old, of low educational level, and had a family history of HTN, 62.9% claimed to have obtained the desired effect from taking these herbs; however, 68.1% did not disclose this fact to their health care providers, 83 plant taxa were reported by these patients, Allium sativum was the most commonly used herb.
The use of CAM, particularly herbal therapies for hypertension treatment, is highly prevalent in Palestine.
Rose scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L. Her.), a perennial herb is grown for the production of high value essential oil that finds extensive use in flavouring and fragrance industries. Geranium is propagated through rooted stem cuttings or fresh terminal stem cuttings .at a row spacing of 60 cm. Its initial growth rate is very slow, to utilize the uncovered inter row space and other applied and natural growth resources and to enhance the productivity, attempts were made to work out the optimum row ratio of garlic (Allium sativum L.) intercropped with geranium to get bonus yield of garlic without affecting oil yield of geranium. Field experiments were conducted for two growing seasons (October–June) of 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 under subtropical climate at Lucknow and temperate climate at Purara. Intercropping of two rows of garlic between the two rows of geranium planted at 60 cm row spacing and 30 cm plant spacing produced 1860 and 2400 kg ha−1bonus yield of garlic bulb without any significant reduction in geranium essential oil yield. It resulted in 59 and 60.5% increase in land use efficiency and 29.3 and 81.3% increase in net return over sole geranium at Lucknow and Purara, respectively.
Specialty materials such as essential oils, pharmaceuticals, colorants, dyes, cosmetics and biocides are obtained from plants. Many species of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are cultivated for such industrial uses, but most are still wild collected. The need for renewable sources of industrial products as well as the need to protect plant biodiversity creates an opportunity for farmers to produce such crops. The production of plants as raw material for fine chemicals is different than cultivation of ornamental or food crops. This review attempts to give an overview of the use of MAPs in various industries, as well as trends in the various markets involved. Economic and regulatory issues relevant for such uses of MAP material are also discussed, with a focus on the situation in the European Union. The aim is to provide information to potential producers to help identify interesting MAPs for cultivation.
Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) and Bemisia tabaci Genn. (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) are two economically important pests of greenhouse vegetables and ornamentals. The management is commonly done based on repetitive applications of chemicals, resulting in environmental pollution and resistance in pest population.In the present study, essential oil vapours from Micromeria fruticosa L., Nepeta racemosa L. and Origanum vulgare L. (Lamiaceae) were tested for toxicities against the nymphs and/or adults of T. urticae and the adults of B. tabaci. Amounts of the essential oils applied were 2, 4, 6 and 8μl in each of the desiccators with 4 l capacity, corresponding to 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2μl/l air. The essential oil vapours of all three plant species caused the highest mortality in 2μl/l air doses and at 120h of exposure in both of two pests’ species. In general, higher mortality was observed as the doses of essential oils and exposure period increased. T. urticae was more tolerant than B. tabaci at all doses of essential oils in all times. The data may suggest that essential oils of all three plants have potential to be used for management of T. urticae and B. tabaci pests in greenhouse conditions.
White micromeria [ Micromeria fruticosa(L.) Druce, Lamiaceae] is a dwarf evergreen shrub endemic to Israel and the eastern Mediterranean. The essential oil of M. fruticosa largely comprises the monoterpenes (+)-pulegone and isomenthol. Seasonal variations in the levels and composition of the monoterpene components of the essential oil of M. fruticosa were noted. During the summer months, when growth rates are maximal, (+)-pulegone constituted up to 80% of the essential oil, while in early winter, a period of growth-rest in Mediterranean climates, (+)-pulegone levels dropped dramatically to a few percent, while isomenthol constituted up to 80% of the essential oil. Experiments in which plants were grown under controlled temperature and photoperiodic regimes indicated that the variation was not directly associated with environmental conditions, but the composition of the monoterpenes obtained from mature flowering branches was strikingly different to that obtained from young vegetative branches. Additionally, there were marked differences in the extracts obtained from individual leaf pairs from the same plant. In young upper leaves, the main component was (+)-pulegone, constituting up to 70% of the total essential oil extracted. During maturation, levels of this component dropped steadily, becoming negligible in older leaves. Reciprocally, levels of isomenthol increased steadily with leaf position, from 0% in young leaves to more than 60% in older leaves. Less pronounced but significant decreases in the levels of limonene, isopulegone, piperitenone oxide, germacrene D and bicyclogermacrene, accompanied by increases in neoiso-isopulegol, isopulegol, neoisomenthol and pulegol were noted. This study indicates that the strong seasonal variation observed in the chemical composition of M. fruticosa is primarily due to leaf maturation.
The in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the essential oil and methanolic extract of Micromeria fruticosa ssp serpyllifolia as well as the composition of the essential oil were examined. The essential oil exhibited activity against 14 bacteria, three fungi and a yeast, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 31.25 to 125 µl ml−1, whilst the methanolic extract was inactive. Antioxidant activity was measured by two methods, namely scavenging of the free radical DPPH and inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation. The methanolic extract exhibited significant antioxidant activity in both assays, providing 50% inhibition at 70.9 ± 0.5 µg ml−1 concentration in the DPPH assay and inhibiting linoleic acid oxidation to 59% at 2 mg ml−1 concentration, whilst the essential oil showed activity only at higher concentrations. The gallic acid equivalent total phenolic content of the methanolic extract was found to be 55.2 ± 2.00 µg mg−1 dry weight extract (5.5% w/w). The chemical composition of the hydrodistilled essential oil was analysed by means of GC/MS. Twenty-nine constituents were identified, the main ones being piperitenone (50.61%) and pulegone (29.19%). Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
In vitro inhibition of bovine erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity by tea tree oil was investigated. The main constituents in the tea tree oil batch used for the analysis of AChE inhibition were terpinen-4-ol (35.6%), γ-terpinene (19.5%), α-terpinene (8.3%), p-cymene (7.2%) and 1,8-cineole (4.4%). AChE was measured by a colorimetric method. IC50 values were obtained for tea tree oil and α-pinene and were 51.2 µg/ml and 57.1 µg/ml, respectively. Tea tree oil was found to contain mixed-type inhibitors; a mixture of main constituents and main constituents showed competitive inhibition. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The allelopathic effect of white micromeria (Micromeria fruticosa) leaves on germinating wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was examined in sterilized and non-sterilized clay and sandy soils. Seed germination and seedling development were evaluated
and the volatile compounds in the soil and in the seeds analyzed. The germination of the seeds and subsequent development
of the seedlings were inhibited by addition of the leaves to the soil. The degree of inhibition was found to be concentration
dependent, and the extent of inhibition was higher in the sandy soil than the clay. Volatile components from M. fruticosa and their derivatives were found in the soil and in the seeds. Soil sterilization inhibited the degradation of the volatiles
but its effect on seedling emergence was not significant. We suggest that the active compounds pulegone and isomenthol are
the probable cause of the inhibitory effects. The results demonstrate that leaf residues in soil systems can cause allelopathic
effects by releasing volatiles. The compounds are metabolized in the seeds and are able to lead to inhibition of germination.
The essential oils of Origanum ehrenbergii and O. syriacum collected in Lebanon were analysed by GC and GC–MS and evaluated for their anticholinesterase, NO production inhibitory activities, and antioxidant properties. O.ehrenbergi essential oil was characterised by the presence of 37 components, representing 94.9% of the total oil of which thymol (19%) and p-cymene (16.1%) were the main abundant compounds. Thirty-six compounds characterised the O.syriacum essential oil, representing 90.6% of the total oil. The most abundant components were thymol (24.7%) and carvacrol (17.6%). O. ehrenbergii demonstrated interesting scavenging effects on DPPH with an IC50 value of 0.99 μg/ml. In addition, both O. ehrenbergii and O. syriacum oils inhibited oxidation of linoleic acid after 30 min of incubation, as well as after 60 min of incubation with IC50 values of 42.1 and 33.6 μg/ml, and 46.9 and 58.9 μg/ml, respectively. Interestingly, O. ehrenbergii oil inhibited NO production in the murine monocytic macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 with an IC50 value of 66.4 μg/ml. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition was assessed by modifications of the Ellman’s method. O. ehrenbergii exhibited a strong activity against both cholinesterases with IC50 values of 0.3 μg/ml. The data suggest that O. ehrenbergii and O. syriacum oils could be used as a valuable new flavour with functional properties for food or nutriceutical products with particular relevance to supplements for the elderly.
The antioxidant properties of two wild edible mushroom species from the northeast of Portugal, Lactarius deliciosus (L.) Gray and Tricholoma portentosum (Fr.) Quél., were evaluated. Methanolic extracts from the entire mushroom, the cap and the stipe, separately, were screened for their reducing power and free radical scavenging capacity by chemical assays. The total phenolic content was determined, in order to assess its effect on the extract’s antioxidant activity. Both two species showed antioxidant potential; but L. deliciosus proved to be more active. The portion of the mushroom used had an influence on the results obtained, with the cap methanolic extracts exhibiting the greatest antioxidant effect.
Spices and herbs have been used for many years by different cultures. The aim of the present study is (1) to investigate in-vitro antimicrobial effects of different spices and herbs (5 species: Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary), Coriandrum sativum (coriander), Micromeria fruticosa (L.) Druce subsp. Brachycalyx P.H. Davis (White micromeria), Cumium cyminum (cumin), Mentha piperita (Peppermint) against different bacteria and fungi species, and (2) to discuss the in-vitro possible effects between the plants and antibiotics. The microorganisms used were Micrococcus luteus LA 2971, Bacillus megaterium NRS, Bacillus brevis FMC 3, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 15753, Pseudomonas pyocyaneus DC 127, Mycobacterium smegmatis CCM 2067, Escherichia coil DM, Aeromonas hydrophila ATCC 7966, Yersinia enterocolitica AU 19, Staphylococcus aureus Cowan 1, Streptococcus faecalis DC 74 bacteria, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae WET 136, Kluvyeromyces fragilis DC 98 fungi in this study. The results indicated that essential oils of Rosmarinus officinalis, Coriandrum sativum L., Micromeria fruticosa (L.) Druce subsp. brachycalyx P.H. Davis, Cumium cyminum L., Mentha piperita L. were shown antimicrobial activity in the range of 7-60 mm 2 microl(-1) inhibition zone to the microorganisms tested, using disc diffusion method. Standard antibiotic such as Gentamicin (10 microg), Cephalothin (30 microg), Ceftriaxone (10 microg), Nystatin (10 U) discs were used for comparison with the antimicrobial activities of essential oils of these plants. In addition, antibacterial activity of essential oils of these plants was researched by effects when it was used together with these standard antibiotics in vitro. However, antibacterial activity changed also by in vitro interactions between these standard antibiotics and essential oils of these plants. Synergic, additive or antagonist effects were observed in antibacterial activity.
We undertook a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to summarize the efficacy of anti-obesity drugs in reducing BMI and improving health in children and adolescents. Data sources included Medline, Embase, the Cochrane controlled trials register and other registers of controlled trials, together with reference lists of identified articles. All data sources were searched from January 1996 to July 2008. We searched for double blind randomized placebo controlled trials of approved anti-obesity drugs used in children and adolescents (age < 20) with primary obesity for > or = 6 months. Six trials, 4 of sibutramine (total patients = 686) and 2 of orlistat (n = 573) met inclusion criteria. No trials of rimonabant were identified. Compared with placebo, sibutramine together with behavioural support reduced BMI by 2.20 kg/m(2) (95% CI: 1.57 to 2.83) and orlistat together with behavioural support reduced BMI by 0.83 kg/m(2) (95% CI 0.47 to 1.19). Sibutramine improved waist circumference, triglycerides and high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, but raised systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse. Orlistat increased rates of gastrointestinal side-effects. We conclude that sibutramine in adolescents produces clinically meaningful reductions in BMI and waist circumference of approximately 0.63 SD, with improvements in cardiometabolic risk. Orlistat modestly reduces BMI (effect size approximately 0.24 SD) with a high prevalence of gastrointestinal adverse effects.
Sage (Salvia spp) is reputed in European herbal encyclopaedias to enhance memory, and current memory-enhancing/anti-dementia drugs are based on enhancing cholinergic activity by inhibiting cholinesterase. In this study the effects of Salvia lavandulaefolia Vahl. (Spanish sage) essential oil and some of its constituent terpenes on human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase were examined in-vitro. The main constituents in the essential oil batch used for analysis of cholinesterase inhibition were camphor (27%), 1,8-cineole (13%), α- and β-pinene (10–15%) and bornyl acetate (10%) with other minor constituents (1% or less) including geraniol, limonene, linalool, terpineol and γ-terpinene.
Using the Ellman spectrophotometric method, kinetic analysis was conducted on the interaction of the essential oil and the main monoterpenoids, camphor, 1,8-cineole and α-pinene. IC50 values were obtained for the essential oil, 1,8-cineole and α-pinene and were 0.03 μg mL−1, 0.67 mM and 0.63 mM, respectively. Camphor and other compounds tested (geraniol, linalool and γ-terpinene) were less potent (camphor IC50: >10 mM). The essential oil, α-pinene, 1,8-cineole and camphor were found to be uncompetitive reversible inhibitors.
These findings suggest that if the inhibitory activity of the essential oil is primarily due to the main inhibitory terpenoid constituents identified, there is a major synergistic effect among the constituents. Since no single constituent tested was particularly potent, it remains to be determined whether these in-vitro cholinesterase inhibitory activities are relevant to in-vivo effects of the ingestion of S. lavandulaefolia essential oil on brain acetylcholinesterase activity.