Essential Oil’s Chemical Composition and Pharmacological Properties

Essential oil, sent by nature, is a complex mixture of volatile secondary metabolites. Its composition varies along with many parameters that can lead to misunderstanding of its wonderful pharmacological property. In fact, from post-harvest treatment to the compound’s identification through extraction approaches, the original chemotype of essential oils can be misdescribed. The pharmacological potentials of these oils are well known in the traditional system since time immemorial. Nowadays, some chemotypes of these oils had shown the effect against WHO’s top 10 killer diseases. But the misuses of these essential oils are in part due to the lack of robust and easy analysis strategy that can allow the quality of the essential oils

Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activities of Combretum molle and Pericopsis laxiflora

In Burkina Faso as in several African countries, diabetes is becoming a very serious disease and public concern. Patients use both drugs and plants for treatment. Thus, Combretum molle and Pericopsis laxiflora have been identified as plants used in Burkina Faso for the treatment of that disease. The aim of the study was to assess phytochemical components and antioxidant activities of those plants in order to highlight why diabetes patients refer to them. The phytochemical analysis of water, ash quantification and screening were done using the standard methods; the antioxidant activities of the ethanolic extract against 2, 2-diphenyl-1- picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO) and hydroxyl radical were performed using colorimetric or spectrophotometric methods. The Inhibitory Concentration (IC) was determined using GraphPad Prism version 5. The results showed 6.76±0.076% and 7.52±0.015% of water contents in Combretum molle and Pericopsis laxiflora, respectively. The ash content was 3.41±0.35% for Combretum molle and 3.87±0.15% for Pericopsis laxiflora. The screening revealed the presence of tannins, phenolic compounds, flavonoids and saponins in both plant materials. However, alkaloids were found in Pericopsis laxiflora and hydrolysables tannins and heterosides cardiotonics in Combretum molle. The IC50 for the extract plant of Combretum molle was 42 μg/mL and that of the Pericopsis laxiflora was 44.15 μg/mL for DPPH radical. The antioxidant effect of the extract plant of Combretum molle was 216 μg/mL and the extract plant of Pericopsis laxiflora was 225 μg/mL on the nitric oxide radical. It was concluded that the presence of tannins, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, saponin, alkaloids and cardiotonic heterosides, explains why traditional medicine uses both plants together to treat certain diseases. However, further investigations of the pharmacological potential for diabetes treatment are needed.© 2015 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Phytochemical, antioxidant activities, Combretum molle, Pericopsis laxiflora, Burkina Fas

Acaricidal activity of five essential oils of Ocimum species on Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus larvae.

International audienceThe aim of this study was to evaluate the acaricidal activity on the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus of essential oils from three Ocimum species. Acaricidal activity of five essential oils extracted from Ocimum gratissimum L. (three samples), O. urticaefolium Roth, and O. canum Sims was evaluated on 14- to 21-day-old Rhipicephalus microplus tick larvae using larval packet test bioassay. These essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) showing great variations of their chemical compositions according to the botanical species and even within the O. gratissimum species; the acaricidal activity of their main compounds was also evaluated. The essential oils of O. urticaefolium and O. gratissimum collected in Cameroon were the most efficient with respective LC50 values of 0.90 and 0.98 %. The two essential oils obtained from O. gratissimum collected in New Caledonia were partially active at a dilution of 5 % while the essential oil of O. canum collected in Cameroon showed no acaricidal activity. The chemical analysis shows five different profiles. Whereas the essential oils of O. urticaefolium from Cameroon and O. gratissimum from New Caledonia contain high amounts of eugenol (33.0 and 22.3–61.0 %, respectively), 1,8-cineole was the main component of the oil of an O. canum sample from Cameroon (70.2 %); the samples of O. gratissimum oils from New Caledonia are also characterized by their high content of (Z)-β-ocimene (17.1–49.8 %) while the essential oil of O. gratissimum collected in Cameroon is mainly constituted by two p-menthane derivatives: thymol (30.5 %) and γ-terpinene (33.0 %). Moreover, the essential oil of O. urticaefolium showed the presence of elemicin (18.1 %) as original compound. The tests achieved with the main compounds confirmed the acaricidal activity of eugenol and thymol with residual activity until 0.50 and 1 %, respectively, and revealed the acaricidal property of elemicin, which was the most efficient compound with 100 % of acaricidal activity at a dilution of 0.25 % and could be a valuable acaricide for the control of the cattle tick R. microplus

Composition and cytotoxic activity of essential oils from Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich, Xylopia parviflora (A. Rich) Benth.) and Monodora myristica (Gaertn) growing in Chad and Cameroon.

International audienceBackgroundCancer has become a global public health problem and the search for new control measures is urgent. Investigation of plant products such as essential oils from Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica and Xylopia parviflora might lead to new anticancer therapy. In this study, we have investigated the antineoplastic activity of essential oils from fruits of these plants growing in Chad and Cameroon.MethodsThe essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of fruits of Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica and Xylopia parviflora collected in Chad and Cameroon were analyzed by GCFID and GC-MS and investigated for their antiproliferative activity against the breast cancer cell line (MCF7).ResultsOverall, monoterpenes were mostly found in the six essential oils. Oils from X. aethiopica and X. parviflora from Chad and Cameroon mainly contain β-pinene at 24.6%, 28.2%, 35.7% and 32.9% respectively. Monodora myristica oils from both origins contain mainly α- phellandrene at 52.7% and 67.1% respectively. The plant origin did not significantly influence the chemical composition of oils. The six essential oils exerted cytotoxic activity against cancer (MCF-7) and normal cell lines (ARPE-19), with more pronounced effect on neoplastic cells in the majority of cases. The highest selectivity was obtained with the essential oils of X. parviflora from Chad and Cameroon (5.87 and 5.54) which were more cytotoxic against MCF-7 than against normal cell line (ARPE-19) with IC50 values of 0.155 μL/mL and 0.166 μL/mL respectively.ConclusionsEssential oils from fruits of Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica and Xylopia parviflora have shown acceptable antineoplastic potency, and might be investigated further in this regard

Etiology and clinical characteristics of pediatric acute fever among hospitalized children in an endemic malaria transmission area of Cameroon in Central Africa.

Acute fever in the majority of children in resource-limited countries is attributable to malaria and often treated without laboratory evidence. The aim of the study was to characterize acute pediatric infectious fevers (APIF) in the pediatric department of the Douala Laquintinie Hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted among children aged 2 months to 15 years who were admitted with an acute fever (anal temperature ≥ 37.5°C less than 5 days in infants and 7 days in adolescents). 200 children were included and followed up during their hospitalization. The mean age was 3.7 (IQ25-75: 1-4.6) years. More than 3 out of 5 patients (62.5%) came from another health facility and anemia accounted for 29% of the reasons for consultation associated with fever. The main symptoms were vomiting (28%), cough (26%), convulsions (21%) and diarrhea (20%). Skin-mucosal pallor (43.0%) and hepatosplenomegaly (26.0%) were the most common physical signs encountered. Among febrile children, 116/200 (58%) were infected with at least 1 pathogen, and 1/200 (0.5%) had a fever of unknown etiology. Malaria (53% vs 80.5% presumptive) associated with anemia (95.3% of cases) was the most common pathology associated with APIF, followed by pneumonia (19.5%), meningitis (11.5%) and urinary tract infections (10% vs 54.5% presumptive). Malaria was over-diagnosed on admission and over-treated as well as urinary tract infection. A better understanding of common pathogens carriage, a better capacity for improved diagnosis and a better applied clinical algorithm for febrile illnesses in children are needed