Fumigant Antifungal Activity of Myrtaceae Essential Oils and Constituents from <em>Leptospermum petersonii</em> against Three <em>Aspergillus</em> Species

Commercial plant essential oils obtained from 11 Myrtaceae plant species were tested for their fumigant antifungal activity against Aspergillus ochraceus, A. flavus, and A. niger. Essential oils extracted from Leptospermum petersonii at air concentrations of 56 × 10^-3 mg/mL and 28 × 10^-3 mg/mL completely inhibited the growth of the three Aspergillus species. However, at an air concentration of 14 × 10^-3 mg/mL, inhibition rates of L. petersonii essential oils were reduced to 20.2% and 18.8% in the case of A. flavus and A. niger, respectively. The other Myrtaceae essential oils (56 × 10^-3 mg/mL) only weakly inhibited the fungi or had no detectable affect. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis identified 16 compounds in L. petersonii essential oil. The antifungal activity of the identified compounds was tested individually by using standard or synthesized compounds. Of these, neral and geranial inhibited growth by 100%, at an air concentration of 56 × 10^-3 mg/mL, whereas the activity of citronellol was somewhat lover (80%). The other compounds exhibited only moderate or weak antifungal activity. The antifungal activities of blends of constituents identified in L. petersonii oil indicated that neral and geranial were the major contributors to the fumigant and antifungal activities.     

Effects of Extraction Methods on the Bioactivities and Nutritional Value of Virginia and Valencia-Type Peanut Oil

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of peanut varieties cultivated in Morocco (Virginia and Valencia) and extraction methods (cold press, CP; Soxhlet, Sox and maceration, and Mac) on the fatty acid profile, phytosterol, and tocopherol contents, quality characteristics, and antioxidant potential of peanut seed oil. The DPPH method was used to determine the antioxidant activity of the oils. The results revealed that fatty acid content was slightly affected by the extraction technique. However, the CP method was shown to be an excellent approach for extracting oil with desirable quality features compared to the Sox and Mac methods. Furthermore, the peanut oil extracted via CP carried a higher amount of bioactive compounds and exhibited remarkable antioxidant activities. The findings also revealed higher oleic acid levels from the Virginia oil, ranging from 56.46% to 56.99%. Besides, a higher total phytosterol and tocopherol content and DPPH scavenging capacity were obtained from the Valencia oil. Analyzing the study, it can be inferred that extraction method and variety both affect the composition of the peanut oil’s bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. This information is relevant for extracting peanut oil with a greater level of compounds of industrial interest.     

The Antimicrobial and Toxicity Influence of Six Carrier Oils on Essential Oil Compounds

Essential oil compounds have been identified as alternative antimicrobials; however, their use is limited due to their toxicity on human lymphocytes, skin, and reproduction. Carrier oils can reduce the toxicity of essential oils, which raises the question as to whether such activity would extend to the essential oil compounds. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial and toxicity activity of essential oil compounds in combination with carrier oils. The antimicrobial properties of the essential oil compounds, alone and in combination with carrier oils, were determined using the broth microdilution assay. The toxicity was determined using the brine shrimp lethality assay. Antimicrobial synergy (ΣFIC ≤ 0.50) occurred in 3% of the samples when tested against the ESKAPE pathogens. The compound thymoquinone in combination with the carrier oil Prunus armeniaca demonstrated broad-spectrum synergistic activity and a selectivity index above four, highlighting this combination as the most favorable. The carrier oils reduced the toxicity of several compounds, with Calendula officinalis and P. armeniaca carrier oils being responsible for the majority of the reduced toxicity observed. This study provides insight into the interactions that may occur when adding a carrier oil to essential oil compounds.     

Studies on allophanate-urethane networks based on hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene: effect of isocyanate type on the network characteristics

Polyurethane networks containing allophanate groups, based on hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene and various diisocyanates, such as toluene diisocyanate, 4,4^′ di(isocyanatocyclohexyl) methane and isophorone diisocyanate were synthesized at various NCO/OH equivalence ratios (r-values) ranging from 1.0 to 1.5. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, stress at 100% elongation, equilibrium relaxation modulus increase and % elongation at break decreases with r-value. Crosslink density (ν_e) for the networks was determined using swell methods. Crosslink density values calculated from equilibrium relaxation modulus were found to be close to those obtained from swell data. Crosslink density (ν_t) was theoretically calculated assuming complete reaction between the functional groups. The ratio, ν_e/ν_t decreases with r-value. Linear fits with good correlation coefficients were obtained between network parameters and mechanical properties. Dynamic mechanical studies show that the r-value does not influence the glass transition temperature. Thermal decomposition studies using thermogravimetric technique indicate that the decomposition is in multiple stages.     

Influence of the Extraction Method on the Quality and Chemical Composition of Walnut (Juglans regia L.) Oil

The present study investigated and compared the quality and chemical composition of Moroccan walnut (Juglans regia L.) oil. This study used three extraction techniques: cold pressing (CP), soxhlet extraction (SE), and ultrasonic extraction (UE). The findings showed that soxhlet extraction gave a significantly higher oil yield compared to the other techniques used in this work (65.10% with p < 0.05), while cold pressing and ultrasonic extraction gave similar yields: 54.51% and 56.66%, respectively (p > 0.05). Chemical composition analysis was carried out by GC–MS and allowed 11 compounds to be identified, of which the major compound was linoleic acid (C18:2), with a similar percentage (between 57.08% and 57.84%) for the three extractions (p > 0.05). Regarding the carotenoid pigment, the extraction technique significantly affected its content (p < 0.05) with values between 10.11 mg/kg and 14.83 mg/kg. The chlorophyll pigment presented a similar content in both oils extracted by SE and UE (p > 0.05), 0.20 mg/kg and 0.16 mg/kg, respectively, while the lowest content was recorded in the cold-pressed oil with 0.13 mg/kg. Moreover, the analysis of phytosterols in walnut oil revealed significantly different contents (p < 0.05) for the three extraction techniques (between 1168.55 mg/kg and 1306.03 mg/kg). In addition, the analyses of tocopherol composition revealed that γ-tocopherol represented the main tocopherol isomer in all studied oils and the CP technique provided the highest content of total tocopherol with 857.65 mg/kg, followed by SE and UE with contents of 454.97 mg/kg and 146.31 mg/kg, respectively, which were significantly different (p < 0.05). This study presents essential information for producers of nutritional oils and, in particular, walnut oil; this information helps to select the appropriate method to produce walnut oil with the targeted quality properties and chemical compositions for the desired purpose. It also helps to form a scientific basis for further research on this plant in order to provide a vision for the possibility of exploiting these oils in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food fields.     

Characterization of some essential oils and their key components: Thermoanalytical techniques

The present study was aimed at determining the kinetics of evaporation and establishing vapor pressure curves for both single and multi-component systems by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Essential oils (e.g. lavender oil, orange oil, clove oil and eucalyptus oil, etc.) are typically multi-component systems consisting of various volatile pure components (e.g. linalyl acetate, limonene, cinnamaldehyde, etc.) which resemble single component systems. In this study linalyl acetate was taken as the calibration compound for TG. The vapor pressure curves for the pure substances were plotted using TG and vapor pressure plots for clove oil and eucalyptus oil were constructed using DSC. The thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the pure compounds were compared to that of the multi-component systems to quantitatively and qualitatively measure the influence of different compounds on each other. The k-value from the vapor pressure data for linalyl acetate was calculated as 112006 Pa kg^0.5mol^0.5s^-1 m^-2 K^-0.5. The vapor pressure values were used to determine the Antoine constants using the SPSS 10.0 software.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Determination of petitgrain oils landmark parameters by using gas chromatography–combustion–isotope ratio mass spectrometry and enantioselective multidimensional gas chromatography

Gas chromatography–combustion–isotope mass spectrometry was employed for the assessment of the Carbon isotope ratios of volatiles in Italian mandarin and lemon petitgrain oils. In addition, the composition of the whole oil and the enantiomeric distribution of selected chiral compounds were determined for all the samples by using gas chromatography and by multidimensional and conventional enantioselective gas chromatography. The composition of the oils was compared with previous studies. The enantiomeric distribution of lemon petitgrain oils is here reported for the first time. On the composition of mandarin petitgrain oil, the information available in literature, to date, is relative only to one sample from Egypt. Carbon isotope ratio of several terpene hydrocarbons and of their oxygenated derivatives contained in petitgrains was compared with the δ ¹³C_VPDB values of the same compounds present in the corresponding genuine Italian Citrus peel oil. The results prove that the isotopic values obtained for lemon and mandarin petitgrain oils are very close to those relative to the corresponding peel oils determined in previous studies.     

Identifying the effect of aromatic oil on the individual component dynamics of S‐SBR/BR blends by broadband dielectric spectroscopy

Miscible S‐SBR (solution styrene–butadiene copolymer)/BR (polybutadiene homopolymer) blends are used in multiple applications like modern passenger car tire treads. Despite their miscibility, there is a problem to predict tire performance due to dynamical heterogeneities present in the S‐SBR/BR blends. On the one hand, S‐SBR/BR blends have a thermorheologically complex behavior, which complicates the prediction of the temperature‐ and frequency‐dependence of material properties. On the other hand, due to differences in the polarity of the individual components, the extender oils used in the elastomeric compounds could distribute unequally within the blends, where little is known about how oils interact with the two polymers. In this work a combination of Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis, and Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BDS) is used to clarify: (i) the thermorheological complexity of S‐SBR/BR blends, (ii) the effect of the extender oil on the blend. The broad frequency operation of BDS allows for the analysis of the S‐SBR and BR component dynamics and the effect of the oil on each of them within an S‐SBR/BR (50/50) blend. Based on the discretization of individual component dynamics in the blend, conclusive remarks are made on the effect of the extender oil for either component in the blend. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018 , 56, 842–854     

The Chemical Profiling of Essential Oils from Different Tissues of Cinnamomum camphora L. and Their Antimicrobial Activities

Cinnamomum camphora L. is grown as an ornamental plant, used as raw material for furniture, as a source of camphor, and its essential oil can be used as an important source for perfume as well as alternative medicine. A comparative investigation of essential oil compositions and antimicrobial activities of different tissues of C. camphora was carried out. The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation with a Clevenger apparatus and their compositions were evaluated through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), enantiomeric composition by chiral GC-MS, and antimicrobial properties were assayed by measuring minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Different plant tissues had different extraction yields, with the leaf having the highest yield. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 18, 75, 87, 67, 67, and 74 compounds in leaf, branch, wood, root, leaf/branch, and leaf/branch/wood, respectively. The significance of combining tissues is to enable extraction of commercial quality essential oils without the need to separate them. The oxygenated monoterpene camphor was the major component in all tissues of C. camphora except for safrole in the root. With chiral GC-MS, the enantiomeric distributions of 12, 12, 13, 14, and 14 chiral compounds in branch, wood, root, leaf/branch, and leaf/branch/wood, respectively, were determined. The variation in composition and enantiomeric distribution in the different tissues of C. camphora may be attributed to the different defense requirements of these tissues. The wood essential oil showed effective antibacterial activity against Serratia marcescens with an MIC of 39.1 μg/mL. Similarly, the mixture of leaf/branch/wood essential oils displayed good antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigatus while the leaf essential oil was notably active against Trichophyton rubrum. C. camphora essential oils showed variable antimicrobial activities against dermal and pulmonary-borne microbes.     

Phytochemical Compositions and Antioxidant Activities of Essential Oils Extracted from the Flowers of Paeonia delavayi Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Fluid

Essential oils were extracted from dark-purple, red and yellow petals of Paeonia delavayi using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide method. The compositions of essential oils were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antioxidant activity assays were carried out using DPPH, ABTS- and FRAP methods. Total polyphenols and total flavonoids were measured to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity in addition to the volatile compounds contained in the essential oils extracted from the flower petals of P. delavayi with the three flower colors. A total of 194 compounds were detected from essential oils of P. delavayi flowers, including 83 in dark-purple petals, 90 in red petals and 80 in yellow petals. These compounds mainly include alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, alkenes, alkanes, esters and polyphenols. The results showed that the volatile compounds accumulated differentially among the essential oils from the different colors of flower petals. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that essential oils derived from dark-purple and red petals were more closely clustered while the yellow petal essential oil was very different with both the purple-red and red. Antioxidant assays suggested that the radical scavenging activity and the iron reduction antioxidant activity in the essential oils were highly correlated with the flower petal colors. These results suggest P. delavayi flower petals are potentially good resources for high quality essential oils and natural antioxidants.     

Ultrasound-Microwave Hybrid-Assisted Extraction Coupled to Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction for Fast Analysis of Essential Oil in Dry Traditional Chinese Medicine by GC–MS

A novel one-step sample preparation technique termed ultrasound-microwave hybrid-assisted extraction coupled to headspace solid-phase microextraction (UMHE-HS-SPME) was developed in this study, which was used for the determination of essential oils in dry traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The dry roots of Angelica dahurica were used as the model TCM. In this work, ultrasound-assisted extraction was first combined with microwave-assisted extraction coupled to headspace solid-phase microextraction and applied to the rapid determination of A. dahurica. Sample preparations including isolation, extraction, and concentration of essential oils were performed in a single step. The effects of various parameters including fiber coating, ultrasound power, and irradiation time were investigated thoroughly and optimized. To further demonstrate the method’s feasibility, the conventional steam distillation (SD) method was used for the analysis of essential oils in the TCM to compare with the proposed method. The results show that more essential oil compounds were isolated and identified by UMHE-HS-SPME than by SD. Moreover, compounds with higher boiling point and many more oxygenated compounds were extracted from A. dahurica by the proposed method. In addition, the SD method required a long time (6 h) to isolate the essential oils, and large amounts of organic solvent for further extraction, while UMHE-HS-SPME needed only 10 min to prepare the samples, and no organic solvent. Relative standard deviation values less than 10 % show that the present method has good precision. According to the experimental results, the advantages of the proposed method are: short extraction time, high extraction efficiency, and solvent-free extraction. Thus, UMHE-HS-SPME is an alternative tool for fast analysis of essential oils in dry TCMs and can be potentially extended to other target analytes in dry matrix.     

Degradation of β-Carbolines Harman and Norharman in Edible Oils during Heating

The β-carbolines, mainly including harman and norharman, are a group of naturally occurring, plant-derived alkaloids, and are also considered as nonpolar heterocyclic aromatic amines. Sesame seed oils contain a high level of β-carbolines (harman and norharman). In China, sesame seed oil blends are one of the most popular types of vegetable oils blends, which can be used as cooking oils or frying oils. Thus, it is meaningful to investigate the degradation of β-carbolines (harman and norharman) in sesame seed oil blends as frying oils during heating. In this work, the loss of harman and norharman in different types of sesame seed oil blends have been investigated. The results showed that the degradation of harman and norharman were dependent both on the type of oil blends, heating temperature and time. Harman and norharman were more degraded during heating (150 °C, 180 °C) in oleic acid-rich oil blends compared to polyunsaturated acid-rich oil blends. Mechanistic investigation suggested that the reduction in harman and norharman in oil blends during heating was mainly due to the oxidative degradation reaction between β-carbolines and lipid oxidation products. Therefore, the contents of β-carbolines (harman and norharman) in sesame seed oil blends when used as frying oils and heated can be decreased with prolonged cooking time.     

Chemical variability and antioxidant activity of Cedrus atlantica Manetti essential oils isolated from wood tar and sawdust

The present research was devoted to evaluating the effect of provenance and wood pyrolysis process on the phytochemical and antioxidant activity of essential oils extracted from sawdust and tar of Cedrus atlantica Manetti of Morocco. The essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation from Cedar wood growing in two geographical locations of the Middle Atlas of Morocco (Senoual and Itzer forests) using a Clevenger-type apparatus and analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Seventy compounds were approximately identified for each essential oil, accounting for 94% of the total oil’s composition, with the predominance of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, where, α-himachalene (13.75%, 1.15%, 12.2%, and 16.69%) and β-himachalene (24.05%, 24.25%, 27.67%, and 44.23%) represented the major constituents in the four essential oils obtained. Multivariate analysis was used to discriminate the essential oils using principal component analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA). In addition, heatmap for dendrogram was used to investigate any correlation between the chemical profiles of each essential oil. Moreover, the antioxidant properties of the essential oils were studied using DPPH scavenging and Ferric Ion Reducing Power (FRAP). The results indicate that the essential oils from wood tar of Cedrus atlantica possess a strong antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 0.126 mg/mL and 0.143 mg/mL) in comparison with those from sawdust (IC₅₀ = 15.6 mg/mL and 16.3 mg/mL).     

Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Lippia multiflora Moldenke Essential Oil from Different Regions of Angola

The purpose of the study was to determine the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of Lippia multiflora Moldenke essential oils (EOs) collected in different regions of Angola. Antibacterial activity was evaluated using the agar wells technique and vapour phase test. Analysis of the oils by GC/MS identified thirty-five components representing 67.5 to 100% of the total oils. Monoterpene hydrocarbons were the most prevalent compounds, followed by oxygenated monoterpenes. The content of the compounds varied according to the samples. The main components were Limonene, Piperitenone, Neral, Citral, Elemol, p-cymene, Transtagetone, and Artemisia ketone. Only one of the eleven samples contained Verbenone as the majority compound. In the vapour phase test, a single oil was the most effective against all the pathogens studied. The principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) of components of the selected EOs and inhibition zone diameter values of agar wells technique allowed us to identify a variability between the plants from the two provinces, but also intraspecific variability between sub-groups within a population. Each group of essential oils constituted a chemotype responsible for their bacterial inhibition capacity. The results presented here suggest that Angolan Lippia multiflora Moldenke has antibacterial properties and could be a potential source of antimicrobial agents for the pharmaceutical and food industry.     

1H-NMR Profiling Shows as Specific Constituents Strongly Affect the International EVOO Blends Characteristics: The Case of the Italian Oil

Considering the growing number of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) producers in the world, knowing the influence of olive oils with different geographical origins on the characteristics of the final blend becomes an interesting goal. The present work is focused on commercial organic EVOO blends obtained by mixing multiple oils from different geographical origins. These blends have been studied by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy supported by multivariate statistical analysis. Specific characteristics of commercial organic EVOO blends originated by mixing oils from Italy, Tunisia, Portugal, Spain, and Greece were found to be associated with the increasing content of the Italian component. A linear progression of the metabolic profile defined characteristics for the analysed samples—up to a plateau level—was found in relation to the content of the main constituent of the Italian oil, the monocultivar Coratina. The Italian constituent percentage appears to be correlated with the fatty acids (oleic) and the polyphenols (tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, and derivatives) content as major and minor components respectively. These results, which highlight important economic aspects, also show the utility of ¹H-NMR associated with chemometric analysis as a powerful tool in this field. Mixing oils of different national origins, to obtain blends with specific characteristics, could be profitably controlled by this methodology.     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Artemisia absinthium,Artemisia scoparia,and Artemisia sieberi grown in Saudi Arabia

Essential oils (EOs) are one of the most significant products of plant metabolites, the current research work was performed to determine and compare the chemical compositions of the EOs extracted from three different species of Artemisia (absinthium, sieberi, and scoparia) growing in Saudi Arabia and to test their antimicrobial potential against different bacterial and fungal strains. The EOs were isolated by hydro-distillation and analyzed by combining a gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC–FID) with the gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) technique. Chemical analysis revealed that the three species had four compounds in common, i.e., limonene, camphor, terpinen-4-ol, and ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, while the main components identified in the EOs of A. absinthium and A. sieberi were cis-davanone (34.7% and 36.1%, respectively) and camphor (16.2% and 24.1%, respectively). In contrast, the keto compounds dominated in the oil of A. scoparia with 2-nonanone (55%) and 2-undecanone (24.5%) representing more than 80% of the total oil content. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of the isolated oils was evaluated by the broth microdilution method, revealing that all the EOs isolated from the examined Artemisia species displayed growth inhibiting actions in a concentration-dependent manner on selected tested microorganism species. The findings of the study also suggested that the tested EOs could be used to develop effective natural antimicrobial remedies with potential application in the fields of cosmetic industry, food manufacturing and medicine.     

Effect of Temperature on the Variation of Retention Time of Unretained Compound and Retention Indices of Some Explosives and Related Compounds Calculated Using a Multiparametric Method in RP-LC

In reversed phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC), a multiparametric non-linear least-squares regression iterative method has been evaluated at different column temperatures (ranging from 30 to 60 °C in 5 °C steps) for calculating the retention time of the unretained compound t _M and the regression parameter (slope b), based on the use of alkan-2-ones, alkyl aryl ketones and 1-nitroalkanes homologous series on two different columns: Spherisorb-ODS2 C₁₈ and Nucleosil C₈. The calculated parameters t _M and b by the multiparametric method (MP) were compared with those obtained by using the iterative method of Guardino’s. The influence of the number of subsets of homologues used for the calculation of t _M and b values was investigated. The retention indices (RI) of some neutral and acidic explosives and related compounds (nitramines, nitroaromatics, aminonitroaromatics and nitrophenols) based on the alkan-2-ones retention index standards have been determined and compared at various temperatures by the MP method. Good agreement was observed between retention data calculated by the MP and GU methods.     

Determination of the volatile compounds of vegetable oils using an ion-mobility spectrometer

An analysis of olive, pressed sunflower, extracted sunflower, extracted soybean, deodorized sunflower, deodorized rapeseed, and deodorized corn vegetable oils has been performed on an FlavourSpec® ionmobility spectrometer. Twenty-four compounds were found in the spectra of the gas phase above samples of vegetable oils and 12 of them were identified. Ion-mobility spectrometry combined with polycapillary chromatography columns made possible distinguishing oils from different plants, as well as pressed and extracted sunflower oil by the volatile components found in the gas phase above the oil.     

Effect of microwaves on the in situ hydrodistillation of four different Lamiaceae

The development of alternative techniques to classic hydrodistillation (HD) has been prompted because of the drawbacks of the more traditional technique. These drawbacks include: partial thermal degradation, high energy consumption and the fact that it is a time-consuming process. In situ microwave-generated hydrodistillation (MGH) and microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG) are suitable methods which may improve the preparation of essential oils. In this work, we report a comparison study of HD, MGH and MHG used in the extraction of four plant species cultivated in Piedmont (Italy): lavender, oregano, basil and sage. Both microwave-assisted procedures gave excellent results; in particular the essential oils obtained under MHG were very similar to those obtained with HD. In MGH, the polarity and the physico-chemical properties of the extracted compounds caused bigger differences in essential oil composition.     

Coalescence in quiescent polymer blends with a high content of the dispersed phase

Coalescence in molten quiescent polymer blends induced by van der Waals forces is studied theoretically. Interaction between a droplet and its nearest neighbor keeping spherical shape during drainage of the matrix trapped between them is considered. It is assumed that droplets with time dependent radius R or effective droplets with radius R + h_c/2, where h_c is the critical inter-droplet distance for breakup of the matrix trapped between them, are randomly distributed in the blend through the whole course of the coalescence. Various approaches to calculation of the average time of coalescence, t_c (calculation with preaveraged distance between a droplet and its nearest neighbor at the start of coalescence, h₀, direct averaging of t_c and averaging coalescence frequency, 1/t_c) are compared. Calculated dependence of R on the time of coalescence, t, is compared with experimental results for polypropylene/ethylene–propylene rubber (PP/EPR) blends with EPR content from 15 to 30 wt.%. Calculations using average h₀ and direct averaging of t_c lead to more-less linear dependence of R³ on t. Bare averaging of 1/t_c leads to a steeper than linear dependence of R³ on t and to unreasonably high rate of the coalescence; averaging of 1/t_c with exclusion of pairs with elapsed coalescence time leads to decreasing rate of R³ growth but unreasonably low rate of coalescence. Theories based on the concept of effective droplet radius give smaller differences among various methods of calculations of t_c than the theories assuming random distribution of the droplets. Experimental results show decreasing slope of R³ vs. t dependence, especially for a higher content of dispersed EPR. Theories using average h₀ or direct averaging of t_c predict somewhat smaller rate of coalescence than that experimentally determined for PP/EPR blends. Reasons of these differences are discussed.