Study on the antiinflammatory activity of essential oil from leaves of Cinnamomum osmophloeum

The leaf essential oil from indigenous cinnamon (Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh.) was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and 21 compounds were identified. The major constituents of leaf essential oil were the monoterpenes 1,8-cineole (17.0%) and santolina triene (14.2%) and the sesquiterpenes spathulenol (15.7%) and caryophyllene oxide (11.2%). In the antiinflammatory activity assay, we demonstrated that the essential oil has a higher capacity to inhibit proIL-1beta protein expression induced by LPS-treated J774A.1 murine macrophage. At dosages of 60 microg/mL, essential oil clearly inhibited proIL-1beta protein expression. Furthermore, a dose of 60 microg/mL of essential oil was effectively inhibitory for IL-1beta and IL-6 production but not for TNF-alpha, suggesting that essential oil was bioactive in antiinflammation in vitro. This study is the first to report antiinflammatory activity of extracts obtained from the leaf essential oil of C. osmophloeum.     

In vivo antioxidant activities of essential oils and their constituents from leaves of the Taiwanese Cinnamomum osmophloeum

Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh is an indigenous tree species in Taiwan. In this study, phytochemical characteristics and antioxidant activities of the essential oils and key constituents from the leaves of two C. osmophloeum clones were investigated. The two trees possess two chemotypes, which were classified as the cinnamaldehyde type and camphor type. We demonstrated that the essential oils from C. osmophloeum leaves exerted in vivo antioxidant activities in Caenorhabditis elegans. In addition, trans-cinnamaldehyde and D-(+)-camphor, which respectively represent the major compounds in the cinnamaldehyde-type and camphor-type trees, exerted significant in vivo antioxidant activities against juglone-induced oxidative stress in C. elegans. Moreover, expressions of antioxidative-related genes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), were significantly induced by trans-cinnamaldehyde and D-(+)-camphor from C. osmophloeum leaves. Our results showed that the essential oils from C. osmophloeum leaves and their major compounds might have good potential for further development as nutraceuticals or antioxidant remedies.     

Chemical composition and larvicidal activity of the essential oils from Eupatorium betonicaeforme (D.C.) Baker (Asteraceae)

The volatile composition of the essential oils from leaves and roots of Eupatorium betonicaeforme (D.C.) Baker was analyzed by GC-MS. A total of 12 compounds were identified. beta-Caryophyllene (12.4-41.7%), alpha-humulene (11.7-14.6%), gamma-muurolene (10.4-19.0%), bicyclogermacrene (15.0-17.5%), 2,2-dimethyl-6-vinylchroman-4-one (10.3-25.5%), and 2-senecioyl-4-vinylphenol (8.5-41.0%) were the most prominent constituents. The former two compounds were isolated and characterized by spectroscopic data. The essential oils and the isolated compounds were tested against Aedes aegypti larvae survival. The results obtained show that the essential oil from roots and 2,2-dimethyl-6-vinylchroman-4-one (10.3-25.5%) could be considered as natural larvicidal agents.     

Chemical composition of the essential oils of Juniperus from ripe and unripe berries and leaves and their antimicrobial activity

The composition of the essential oil from ripe and unripe berries and leaves of Juniperus oxycedrus L. ssp. oxycedrus, Juniperus phoenicea ssp. turbinata and Juniperus communis ssp. communis was analyzed by GC-MS, and microbiological assays were carried out. Samples were collected in different localities (Sardinia, Italy) and hydro distilled. The yields ranged between 2.54% +/- 0.21 (v\w dried weight) and 0.04% +/- 0.00. A total of 36 components were identified. The major compounds in the essential oils were alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, delta-3-carene, sabinene, myrcene, beta-phellandrene, limonene, and D-germacrene. Both qualitative and quantitative differences between species and between different parts of the plant were observed. The essential oils and their major compounds were tested against Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were determined. The results obtained led to a nonsignificant inhibitory effect, although all the essential oils from Juniperus phoenicea ssp. turbinata and the essential oil from leaves of Juniperus oxycedrus ssp. oxycedrus exhibited rather good or weak activity against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus.     

Antitermitic activity of leaf essential oils and components from Cinnamomum osmophleum

The antitermitic activities of the essential oils from the leaves of two Cinnamomum osmophloeumclones (A and B) and their chemical ingredients against Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki were investigated according to direct contact application. Results from this experiment have demonstrated that the indigenous cinnamon B leaf essential oil has a more effective antitermitic activity than indigenous cinnamon A leaf essential oil. Furthermore, when cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and alpha-terpineol are extracted from indigenous cinnamon leaf essential oil and used at the strength of 1 mg/g, their antitermitic effectiveness is much higher than that using indigenous cinnamon leaf essential oil. Among the congeners of cinnamaldehyde examined, cinnamaldehyde has exhibited the strongest termiticidal property.     

Chemical composition and antifungal activity of essential oils from different tissues of Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)

In this study antifungal activities of essential oils from different tissues of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) against four wood decay fungi and six tree pathogenic fungi were investigated. In addition, the yields of essential oils obtained by water distillation were compared and their constituents determined by GC-MS analyses. The yield of essential oils from four tissues of Japanese cedar is in the decreasing order of leaf (27.38 mL/kg) > bark (6.31 mL/kg) > heartwood (3.80 mL/kg) > sapwood (1.27 mL/kg). Results obtained from the antifungal tests demonstrate that the essential oil of Japanese cedar heartwood used against Laetiporus sulphureus and Trametes versicolor and sapwood essential oil used against L. sulphureus had strong antifungal activities at 500 mug/mL, with IC(50) values of 39, 91, and 94 microg/mL, respectively. Besides, the essential oils of Japanese cedar heartwood used against Rhizoctonia solani, Collectotrichum gloeosporioides, Fusarium solani, and Ganoderma australe had strong antifungal activities at 500 microg/mL, with IC(50) values of 65, 80, 80, and 110 microg/mL, respectively. GC-MS analyses showed that the sesquiterpene hydrocarbon compounds dominate in the essential oil from Japanese cedar heartwood, amounting to a total percentage of 82.56%, with the major compounds of delta-cadinene (18.60%), isoledene (12.41%), and gamma-muurolene (11.82%). It is proposed that the excellent antifungal activities of Japanese cedar heartwood essential oils might correlate with the presence of these compounds.     

Chemical composition and insecticidal activity of essential oils from Vanillosmopsis pohlii baker against Bemisia argentifolii

Essential oils from the heartwood and leaves of specimens of Vanillosmopsis pohlii collected in two different localities were analyzed by GC-MS. The major constituent of both heartwood essential oils was the sesquiterpene alpha-bisabolol. Essential oil composition from leaves was quite different for two specimens and showed beta-pinene and E-caryophyllene as principal constituents. The essential oil of heartwood and the pure sesquiterpene alpha-bisabolol were tested against Bemisia argentifolii, the white fly fruit plague, and pronounced insecticidal effects were observed.     

Chemical composition and antifungal activity of Salvia macrochlamys and Salvia recognita essential oils

Essential oils of Salvia macrochlamys and Salvia recognita were obtained by hydrodistillation of dried aerial parts and characterized by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. One hundred and twenty identified constituents representing 97.7% in S. macrochlamys and 96.4% in S. recognita were characterized, and 1,8-cineole, borneol, and camphor were identified as major components of the essential oils. The oils were evaluated for their antimalarial, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities. Antifungal activity of the essential oils from both Salvia species was nonselective at inhibiting growth and development of reproductive stroma of the plant pathogens Colletotrichum acutatum, Colletotrichum fragariae, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. S. macrochlamys oil had good antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium intracellulare; however, the oils showed no antimicrobial activity against human pathogenic bacteria or fungi up to a concentration of 200 microg/mL. S. recognita oil exhibited a weak antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum.     

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils from Thymus spinulosus Ten. (Lamiaceae)

The chemical composition of essential oils from aerial parts of Thymus spinulosus Ten. (Lamiaceae) is reported. Four oils from plants growing in different environmental conditions were characterized by GC and GC-MS methods; the oils seem to indicate a new chemotype in the genus Thymus. Influences of soil and altitude characteristics on the essential oil composition are discussed. The oils showed antibacterial activity against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative (Proteus mirabilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimuium Ty2, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria.     

Chemical composition, seasonal variability, and antifungal activity of Lavandula stoechas L. ssp. stoechas essential oils from stem/leaves and flowers

Essential oils from the stems/leaves (L) and flowers (F) of Lavandula stoechas L. ssp. stoechas growing wild in southern Sardinia (Italy) were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detector and ion trap mass spectrometry. The major compound was fenchone, accounting for, on average, 52.60% in L and 66.20% in F, followed by camphor (13.13% versus 27.08%, in L and F, respectively). F essential oil yields (volume per dry weight) decreased from the beginning to the end of the flowering stage, whereas L yields remained constant during the year. The nine main compounds derived from two different subpathways, A and B. The compounds that belong to the same subpathway showed a similar behavior during the year. The essential oils were tested for their antifungal activity using the paper disk diffusion method. The essential oils tested were effective on the inactivation of Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum and less effective against Aspergillus flavus. Among the single compounds tested, fenchone, limonene, and myrtenal appeared to be the more effective on the inhibition of R. solani growth.     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils from the gum of Turkish pistachio (Pistacia vera L.)

The essential oil from the gum of Pistachio (Pistacia vera L. (Anacardiaceae)) grown in Turkey was obtained by the hydro-distillation method, and its chemical composition was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Moreover, the antimicrobial activities of the oil against the growth of 13 bacteria and 3 pathogenic yeasts were evaluated using the agar-disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods. The results showed that the essential oil contained about 89.67% monoterpenes, 8.1% oxygenated monoterpenes and 1.2% diterpenes. alpha-Pinene (75.6%), beta-pinene (9.5%), trans-verbenol (3.0%), camphene (1.4%), trans-pinocarveol (about 1.20%), and limonene (1.0%) were the major components. The antimicrobial results showed that the oil inhibited nine bacteria and all the yeasts studied, and the activities were considerably dependent upon concentration and its bioactive compounds such as carvacrol, camphene, and limonene. Moreover, the essential oil of the gum was found to be more effective yeastcide than Nystatin, synthetic yeastcide. Furthermore, the antibacterial activities of the oil were lower than those of standard antibiotics, ampicillin sodium, and streptomycine sulfate under the conditions studied.     

Chemical composition and antifungal activity of Arnica longifolia, Aster hesperius, and Chrysothamnus nauseosus essential oils

Essential oils from three different Asteraceae obtained by hydrodistillation of aerial parts were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Main compounds obtained from each taxon were found as follows: Arnica longifolia carvacrol 37.3%, alpha-bisabolol 8.2%; Aster hesperius hexadecanoic acid 29.6%, carvacrol 15.2%; and Chrysothamnus nauseosus var. nauseosus beta-phellandrene 22.8% and beta-pinene 19.8%. Essential oils were also evaluated for their antimalarial and antimicrobial activity against human pathogens, and antifungal activities against plant pathogens. No antimalarial and antimicrobial activities against human pathogens were observed. Direct bioautography demonstrated antifungal activity of the essential oils obtained from three Asteraceae taxa and two pure compounds, carvacrol and beta-bisabolol, to the plant pathogens Colletotrichum acutatum, C. fragariae and C. gloeosporioides. Subsequent evaluation of antifungal compounds using a 96-well micro-dilution broth assay indicated that alpha-bisabolol showed weak growth inhibition of the plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea after 72 h.     

Bioactive phytochemicals of leaf essential oils of Cinnamomum osmophloeum prevent lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine (LPS/D-GalN)-induced acute hepatitis in mice

The purpose of this study was to investigate the bioactive phytochemicals of leaf essential oils of Cinnamomum osmophloeum on lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine (LPS/D-GalN)-induced acute hepatitis. The results revealed that post-treatment with 100 μmol/kg trans-cinnamaldehyde, (-)-aromadendrene, T-cadinol, or α-cadinol significantly decreased the aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels in serum. Moreover, both T-cadinol and α-cadinol treatments decreased the expressions of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) in the liver tissues when compared with the LPS/D-GalN group. Liver histopathology also showed that silymarin, trans-cinnamaldehyde, (-)-aromadendrene, T-cadinol, or α-cadinol significantly reduced the incidence of liver lesions induced by LPS/D-GalN. These results suggest that the above phytochemicals exhibit potent hepatoprotection against LPS/D-GalN-induced liver damage in mice, and their hepatoprotective effects may be due to the modulation of anti-inflammatory activities.     

Chemical composition of the essential oils of serbian wild-growing Artemisia absinthium and Artemisia vulgaris

The chemical composition of the aerial and root essential oils, hydrodistilled from Artemisia absinthium L. and Artemisia vulgaris L. (wild-growing populations from Serbia), were studied by gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance. During the storage of plant material under controlled conditions, a significant decrease of essential oil yields (isolated directly after drying and after 1 year of storage) and significant differences in their chemical compositions were observed. A possible mechanism for the observed oil component interconversion has been discussed. The noticeable differences in the chemical composition of the oils isolated from roots and aerial parts of A. absinthium and A. vulgaris were also correlated with the diverging biosynthetic pathways of volatiles in the respective plant organs. The antimicrobial activities against the common human pathogens of all of the isolated oils were tested according to National Committee on Clinical Laboratory Standards. The oils showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against the tested strains. Therefore, these oils can be used as flavor and fragrance ingredients.     

New mosquito larvicidal tetranortriterpenoids from Turraea wakefieldii and Turraea floribunda

The crude methanol extracts of the root barks of Turraea wakefieldii and Turraea floribunda were found to show mosquito larvicidal activity against third-instar larvae of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto. Four new limonoids comprising a vilasininoid 1 and three havanensinoids 2-4 were isolated from the chloroform fractions of the methanol extracts of T. wakefieldii and T. floribunda, respectively. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy. Compounds 1, 2, and 4 had LD50 values of 7.1, 4.0, and 3.6 ppm, respectively, and were more potent than azadirachtin, which had an LD50 value of 57.1 ppm when tested against larvae of A. gambiae.     

Chemical composition and antifungal activity of essential oil of Chrysactinia mexicana gray

The chemical composition of the essential oil of Chysactinia mexicana was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Seventeen compounds were characterized; eucalyptol (41.3%), piperitone (37.7%), and linalyl acetate (9.1%) were found as the major components. The essential oil of leaves and piperitone completely inhibited Aspergillus flavus growth at relatively low concentrations (1.25 and 0.6 mg/mL, respectively).     

Antifungal activity of some essential oils

Thirteen essential oils recovered by steam distillation from Indian herbs were analyzed for their chemical compositions using GC and GCMS. The antifungal activity against plant and Food mold rot were examined in vitro using poison food technique. The essential oil from cymbopogan exhibited control over all the plant and food mold rot tested. The bioactive compound in the oil and its minimum inhibitory concentration were determined using TLC bioautography.     

Differences in the fragrances of pollen,leaves, and floral parts of garland (Chrysanthemum coronarium) and composition of the essential oils from flowerheads and leaves

Headspace analyses of pollen, whole flowerheads, ligulate and tubular florets, flower buds, involucral bracts, and leaves have been performed on the food plant Chrysanthemum coronarium L. (Asteraceae). The analyses permitted differences in the pattern of volatiles emitted by the different floral parts to be observed and the site and phenological stage of emission of these chemicals to be verified. Camphor and cis-chrysanthenyl acetate were emitted mainly by ligulate and tubular florets; the production of myrcene and (Z)-ocimene was higher in the flower buds, whereas beta-caryophyllene, (E,E)-alpha-farnesene, and (E)-beta-farnesene seemed attributable mainly to the involucral bracts. The leaves showed a quite different volatile profile, with (Z)-ocimene as the main constituent. Pollen showed a completely different composition of its volatiles, with perilla aldehyde, cis-chrysanthenyl acetate, and camphor among the principal compounds; many carbonylic compounds and linear hydrocarbons have been detected exclusively in pollen. Furthermore, the essential oils obtained from flowerheads and leaves have been studied. These samples showed mainly quantitative differences. Camphor (22.1%) and cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (19.9%) were the main constituents of the oil from flowers, whereas the oil from the leaves contained mainly (Z)-ocimene (45.4%) and myrcene (28.2%).     

Emodin isolated from Cassia obtusifolia (Leguminosae) seed shows larvicidal activity against three mosquito species

Mosquito larvicidal activity of Cassia obtusifolia (Leguminosae) seed-derived materials against the fourth-instar larvae of Aedes aegypti, Aedes togoi, and Culex pipiens pallens was examined. The chloroform fraction of C. obtusifolia extract showed a strong larvicidal activity of 100% mortality at 25 mg/L. The biologically active component of C. obtusifolia seeds was characterized as emodin by spectroscopic analyses. The LC(50) values of emodin were 1.4, 1.9, and 2.2 mg/L against C. pipiens pallens, A. aegypti, and A. togoi, respectively. Pirimiphos-methyl acts as a positive control directly compared to emodin. Pirimiphos-methyl was a much more potent mosquito larvicide than emodin. Nonetheless, emodin may be useful as a lead compound and new agent for a naturally occurring mosquito larvicidal agent. In tests with hydroxyanthraquinones, no activity was observed with alizarin, danthron, and quinizarin, but purpurin has an apparent LC(50) value of approximately 19.6 mg/L against A. aegypti.     

Chemical composition of the flower oil of Cinnamomum zeylanicum blume

The steam-distilled oil of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) flowers was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. It consists of 23% hydrocarbons and 74% oxygenated compounds. A total of 26 compounds constituting approximately 97% of the oil were characterized. (E)-Cinnamyl acetate (41.98%), trans-alpha-bergamotene (7.97%), and caryophyllene oxide (7.2%) are found to be major compounds. This is the first report on the chemical composition of the flower oil of Cinnamomum zeylanicum.