Azita Hoseiny Zarea’s research while affiliated with Islamic Azad University and other places

Essential oils from the leaves, stems and flowers of Prangos ferulacea (family Umbelliferae) growing in Esfahan, Iran, were obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus and their chemical composition and antibacterial activity analysed by GC-MS. All the oils consisted mainly of oxygenated monoterpenes and a small percentage of sesquiterpene compounds. In the oil from the leaf, 10 components were identified, dominated by oxygenated monoterpenes. The three major constituents identified (representing 65.1% of the oil) were linalool (36.7%), caryophyllene oxide (16.3%) and α-pinene (12.1%). In the stem oil, 11 compounds were identified, with oxygenated monoterpenes again predominating. The two major constituents identified (representing 29.3% of the oil) were 1,8-cineole (19.0%) and α-pinene (10.3%). Of the 17 compounds found in the flower oil, the five main components identified (representing 74.1% of the oil) were oxygenated monoterpenes: linalool (19.0%), lavandulyl acetate (16.0%), 1,8-cineole (14.5%), α-pinene (12.4%) and geranyl isobutyrate (12.2%). The oils were tested against four Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. Antibacterial activity was measured using a dilution method. It was found that oil from leaves, stems and flowers of P. ferulacea, and especially that of leaves, exhibited interesting antibacterial activity.

S u m m a r y A simple and efficient method of carrying out biotransformation reactions on terpenoid compounds was developed. For these experiments, a sporulated surface culture of Penicillium sp. was inoculated on solid media in conical flasks. After a short incubation the spores germinated and a mycelia culture was formed. After a week the cultures had completely sporulated and a bioconversion reaction started. For this purpose, a known volume of menthol was added onto the sporulated surface of culture. After 7 days, a period during which transformation took place, menthol was extracted with Et 2 O three times. After evaporation the recognition by GC and GC/MS was followed. The main bioconverted products obtained from menthol by surface Penicillium sp. with the use of sporulated surface culture were α-pinene (18.0%), sabinene (11.6%), trans-p-menthan-1-ol (10.6%), p-menth-1-ene (5.8%), 1,8-cineole (6.4%) and limonene (3.2%). The pathways of biotransformation of menthol by Penicillium sp. to main products are also discussed.