Chemical composition of the essential oil from Thapsia garganica L. (Apiaceae) grown wild in Sicily and its antimicrobial activity

In this study, the chemical composition of the essential oil from flowers and leaves of Thapsia garganica L. collected in Sicily was evaluated by GC and GC–MS. The main components of T. garganica flower oil (T.f.) were chamazulene (58.3%), humulene oxide II (9.0%), tricosane (8.2%) and pentacosane (8.2%). Also the oil from leaves (T.l.) was characterised by high content of chamazulene (49.2%). Other abundant metabolites were 1,4-dimethylazulene (18.5%), (E)-phytol (6.3%) and neophytadiene (5.1%). The comparison with other studied oils of genus Thapsia is discussed. Antimicrobial activity against several micro-organisms, including some ones infesting historical art craft, was also determined.     

Composition of essential oils from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salvia anatolica</Emphasis>, a new species endemic from Turkey

The component composition of essential oils produced by steam distillation from flower heads, leaves, and stems of Salvia anatolica (Lamiaceae), a recently described new species endemic from Turkey, was studied by GC/FID and GC/MS. A total of 127 volatile components representing 96% of the oil was identified in essential oil from flower heads and leaves. It was found that the principal oil components of flower heads and leaves were α-pinene (10.9%), β-pinene (6.7%), α-copaene (6.3%), heptacosane (6.2%), and hexadecanoic acid (5.0%). A total of 109 volatile compounds representing 87.9% of the oil was characterized in essential oil isolated from stems. The principal oil components of stems were identified as hexadecanoic acid (27.2%), tetradecanoic acid (15.2%), dodecanoic acid (5.5%), and α-copaene (5.0%). __________ Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 552–555, November–December, 2007.     

Essential oil of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Laurus nobilis</Emphasis> from Montenegro

Steam distilled oil from the shoots, separated leaves, and stem, as well as from the flower of laurel (Laurus nobilis), grown in Montenegro, were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The yield of essential oil was as follow: 1.4% in young shoots, 1.5% in the separated leaves, and 0.7% in separated stems. The main constituents of all investigated oils were 1,8-cineole, methyleugenol, and α-terpinyl acetate. Besides, α-pinene, β-pinene, sabinene, and linalool were also present. It was interesting and important for commercial samples of laurel essential oil that there was no significant difference among the essential oil obtained from young shoots and those obtained from leaves and stem. The main constituents of the flower oil were 1,8-cineole (15.7%), β-caryophyllene (9.5%), γ-muurolene (7.1%), α-terpinyl acetate (6.5%), and methyleugenol (3.9%). Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 337–339, July–August, 2007.     

Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil of Rosmarinus officinalis Cultivated in the Algerian Sahara

The volatile compounds obtained by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts of Rosmarinus officinalis cultivated at the Algerian Sahara were analyzed by GC/MS. Thirty compounds were characterized representing 98.2% of the essential oil with 1,8-cineole (29.5%), 2-ethyl-4,5-dimethylphenol (12.0%) and camphor (11.5%) as the major components.     

Constituents of the essential oil of Scabiosa flavida from Iran

The composition of the essential oil of the aerial parts of Scabiosa flavida was investigated by GC and GC-MS. Forty-three components representing 94.2% of the essential oil were characterized. The main components of the oil were tricosane (15.5%), rosifoliol (15.3%), (E)-caryophyllene (10.7%), and α-humulene (7.9%). Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 426–427, September–October, 2006.     

Terpenoid compositions and antioxidant activities of two Indian valerian oils from the Khasi Hills of north-east India

The volatile constituents of Valeriana jatamansi Jones and V. hardwickii Wall. (Valerianaceae) collected from the Khasi Hills of north-east India were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Twenty-seven and twenty-one compounds were characterized and identified from V. jatamansi and V. hardwickii samples, representing 90.6% and 82.7% of the total oil, respectively. Sesquiterpenes were shown to be the main constituents in both the oil samples. Maaliol (26.1%), patchouli alcohol (9.3%) and a-gurjunene (8.7%) were the major components of V. jatamansi oil, whereas valeracetate (21.3%), methyl linoleate (14.1%), bornyl acetate (13.8%) and cuparene (7.1%) were the main constituents of V. hardwickii oil. Both Indian valerian essential oils were studied for their antioxidant activities using the free radical-scavanging activity (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. V. hardwickii oil exhibited a higher antioxidant capacity than V. jatamansi in both assays. For both the valerian oil samples, there was a concentration-dependent increase in free radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing capacity. Both valerian oils and their ingredients are potential sources of natural antioxidants.     

Comparative essential oil composition of aerial parts of Tanacetum dumosum Boiss. from Southern Zagros,Iran.

The essential oils of leaves and flowers of Tanacetum dumosum Boiss., an endemic medicinal shrub, were extracted by using hydrodistillation method and analysed using GC and GC–MS. A total of 43 and 44 compounds were identified in the essential oils from the leaves and flowers of T. dumosum, respectively. The major chemical constituents of leaves oil were borneol (27.9%), bornyl acetate (18.4%), 1,8-cineol (17.5%), α-terpineol (5.3%), cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (3.3%), camphene (2.7%) and terpinene-4-ol (1.9%), while the main components of the flower oil were isobornyl-2-methyl butanoate (41.1%), trans-linalyl oxide acetate (11.9%), 1,8-cineole (7.7%), thymol (4.2%), linalool (3.9%), camphor (2.9%), isobornyl propanoate (2.9%), α-terpineol (2.1%) and caryophyllene oxide (2.0%). Major qualitative and quantitative variations for some main chemical compounds among different aerial parts of T. dumosum were identified. High contents of borneol, bornyl acetate, 1,8-cineol and linalool in the leaves and flowers of T. dumosum show its potential for use in the food and perfumery industry.     

Comparative analysis of essential oil composition from flower and leaf of Magnolia kwangsiensis Figlar & Noot.

The essential oils from Magnolia kwangsiensis Figlar & Noot. were obtained using hydrodistillation, and analysed by GC and GC–MS. A total of 31, 27 and 26 constituents were identified in the oils from male flower, female flower and leaf of M. kwangsiensis, and they comprised 99.2, 98.5 and 96.2% of the oils, respectively. Monoterpene hydrocarbons predominated in the oils and accounted for 48.3% of male flower oil, 54.0% of female flower oil and 44.6% of leaf oil. The compositions of flower oils were quite similar but with different content, and were different from those of leaf oil.     

Commercial Origanum compactum Benth. and Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume essential oils against natural mycoflora in Valencia rice

Chemical composition of commercial Origanum compactum and Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oils and the antifungal activity against pathogenic fungi isolated from Mediterranean rice grains have been investigated. Sixty-one compounds accounting for more than 99.5% of the total essential oil were identified by using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Carvacrol (43.26%), thymol (21.64%) and their biogenetic precursors p-cymene (13.95%) and γ-terpinene (11.28%) were the main compounds in oregano essential oil, while the phenylpropanoids, eugenol (62.75%), eugenol acetate (16.36%) and (E)-cinnamyl acetate (6.65%) were found in cinnamon essential oil. Both essential oils at 300 μg/mL showed antifungal activity against all tested strains. O. compactum essential oil showed the best antifungal activity towards Fusarium species and Bipolaris oryzae with a total inhibition of the mycelial growth. In inoculated rice grains at lower doses (100 and 200 μg/mL) significantly reduced the fungal infection, so O. compactum essential oil could be used as ecofriendly preservative for field and stored Valencia rice.     

Chemical composition of the essential oils and headspace volatiles of Ferulago sylvatica (Besser) Reichenb. from Serbia

Abstract

Chemical composition of the headspace volatiles and essential oils isolated from different parts of Ferulago sylvatica was determined by GC and GC/MS analyses. The results showed that headspace volatiles obtained from the aerial parts and roots were similar regarding the number of identified compounds and main components. However, essential oils obtained from different plant organs showed significant differences in chemical composition. Myrcene was the most abundant component of the inflorescences and shoots volatiles, while α-pinene make up over 50% of the root volatiles. Only three components were identified in the root essential oil with 2,3,6-trimethyl benzaldehyde (92.7%) as the main component. In the shoots sample the terpenoid fractions represented 56% of the oil, unevenly distributed between monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids with germacrene D (32.5%) recognized as the main constituent. On the other hand, more than 94% of the inflorescences oils were monoterpenoids with myrcene as the most abundant contributor (29.2%).     

A detailed analysis of volatile constituents of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aquilegia pancicii</Emphasis> Degen,a Serbian steno-endemic species

Chemical composition of the essential oil of Aquilegia pancicii Degen endemic to Serbia is reported. Essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The major constituents were hexadecanoic acid (24.3 %) and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (14.1 %), among 130 identified compounds, representing 90.3 % of the total essential oil. The oil was marked by the presence of 69 fatty acid derivatives and low content of terpenoids representing 60.4 % and 7.8 % of the oil, respectively.     

Volatile oil composition of Pogostemon heyneanus and comparison of its composition with patchouli oil

The volatile oil of the leaves of Pogostemon heyneanus Benth. (Lamiaceae) was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Twenty-six components representing 96.0% of the oil were identified. The major components of the oil were acetophenone (51.0%), beta-pinene (5.3%), (E)-nerolidol (5.4%), and patchouli alcohol (14.0%). Comparison of the compositions of the oils of P. heyneanus and P. cablin (Blanco) Benth. (Patchouli oil) showed wide variation between them. Though 13 sesquiterpenes and oxygenated sesquiterpenes were detected in both oils, their concentrations in the oils differed widely. Acetophenone, benzoyl acetone and (E)-nerolidol present in the oil of P. heyneanus were not detected in patchouli oil.     

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oil of Nepeta graciliflora Benth. (Lamiaceae)

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from aerial parts of Nepeta graciliflora was analysed, for the first time, by GC–FID and GC–MS. A total of 27 compounds were identified, constituting over 91.44% of oil composition. The oil was strongly characterised by sesquiterpenes (86.72%), with β-sesquiphellandrene (28.75%), caryophyllene oxide (12.15%), α-bisabolol (8.97%), α-bergamotene (8.51%), β-bisabolene (6.33%) and β-Caryophyllene (5.34%) as the main constituents. The in vitro activity of the essential oil was determined against four micro-organisms in comparison with chloramphenicol by the agar well diffusion and broth dilution method. The oil exhibited good activity against all tested organisms.     

Chemical composition of essential oil from Jordanian Lupinus varius L.

The chemical composition of essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from flowering shoots of Lupinus varius L. was analyzed by GC–FID and GC–MS. Chemical analysis of this oil showed that it includes a complex mixture of aldehydes, alcohols, esters and mono- and sesquiterpenes. Forty one compounds were characterized in the oil. The major components of the oil were 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone (20.5%), pentadecanal (10.2%), (E) nerolidol (8.43%), carracol ethyl ether (4.3%), α-humulene (3.6%), (2Z,13E)-ocatadeca-2,13-dien-l0-ol (3.2%) and caryophyllene-5-ol (2.7%).     

Essential oil variation of Salvia officinalis aerial parts during its phenological cycle

In this paper the variation in the quantity and quality of the essential oil of Salvia officinalis during its life cycle stages is reported. The oils were obtained by hydrodistillation of air-dried samples. The yield of essential oil (w/w %) in different stages was in the order: floral budding (0.9%) > vegetative (0.7%) > flowering (0.5%) > immature fruit (0.4%) > ripen fruit (0.2%). The essential oils were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. In total, 36, 41, 40, 38, and 41 constituents were identified and quantified in the subsequent stages, respectively. Oxygenated monoterpenes were the main group of compounds in the fruiting set (56.9%), vegetative (48.5%), flowering (47.7%), and floral budding (45.3%) stage. 1,8-cineole as one of the major constituents of all samples was lower in the vegetative stage and gradually increased in subsequent harvesting times to reach a maximum in flowering and then decreased in the fruiting set. In contrast, the globulol content was higher in the first stage and decreased drastically during fruit maturation. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 16–19, January–February, 2006.     

Essential oil composition of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Santolina etrusca</Emphasis> from Italy

The essential oil composition of aerial parts of Santolina etrusca Marchi & D’Amato from Italy was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Twenty-nine compounds of oil were identified representing 97.1% of the oil. The most abundant compounds were viridiflorol (17.9%), terpinen-4-ol (14.4%), myrcene (11.8%), β-pinene (9.9%), and cis-muurola-4(14),5-diene (9.9%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the GC/MS determination of the essential oil composition of S. etrusca. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 38–39, January–February, 2007.     

Essential oil composition of Nepeta satureioides from Iran

The essential oil of Nepeta satureioides Boiss. from Iran was isolated by hydrodistillation in yield of 0.06% (w/w). The chemical composition of the essential oil was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Forty-five compounds accounting for 97.4% of the total oil were identified. The major components were linalool (23.8%), (Z,E)-farnesol (14.7%), linalyl acetate (11.1%), β-caryophyllene (6.6%), lavandulol acetate (6.6%), caryophyllene oxide (6.4%), and (Z)-β-farnesene (3.4%). Oxygenated terpenoids were the main group of compounds. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 144–145, March–April, 2006.     

Essential Oil Composition of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nepeta involucrata</Emphasis> from Iran

The essential oil of Nepeta involucrata (Bunge) Bornm. (Lamiaceae) obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts during the flowering stage was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Forty-eight compounds representing 97.2% of total oil were identified. The main compounds of the oil were 1,8-cineol (23.1%), germacrene-D (15.1%), and β-pinene (12.2%). No traces of nepetalactone isomers were found as oil constituents. __________ Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 562–564, November–December, 2005.     

E,E-α-Farnesene rich essential oil of Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Wilde flower

Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Wilde (Fabaceae) commonly known as ‘Ashoka’ is a highly valued medicinal plant categorised ‘vulnerable’ by International Union for Conservation of Nature. The hydro-distilled essential oil from the flowers of S. asoca was investigated using gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Twenty-eight compounds representing 95.8% of the total oil were identified. The major constituents of the essential oil were E,E-α-farnesene (41.2%), hexadecanoic acid (15.3%), methyl salicylate (9.5%) and Z-lanceol (6.6%). The oil was found to be rich in sesquiterpene hydrocarbon-type constituents.     

Reinvestigation of carvotanacetone after 100 years along with minor terpenoid constituents of Blumea malcolmii Hook. F. essential oil

Reinvestigation of essential oil constituents of Blumea malcolmii Hook. F. (Asteraceae) was carried out after 100 years using gas chromatography equipped with flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Eighteen constituents, representing 99.2% of the total oil, were identified. The major compound was identified by GC/MS and NMR (¹H and ¹³C) as carvotanacetone (92.1%). The minor compounds of essential oil have also been identified for the first time in B. malcolmii. The oil was found to be rich in oxygenated monoterpene-type constituents (95.0%).