Constituents and Anthelmintic Activity Evaluation of Albizia Adiantifolia (Schumach) W.F. Wright Essential Oils FromNigeria

Albizia adiantifolia (Schumach) W.F. Wright (Fabaceae) is a plant used traditionally in treating different health ailments which includes worm infections. The essential oils (EOs) were obtained by hydrodistillation in an all glass Clevenger apparatus, and characterized by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS). In vitro petri-dish anthelmintic activity was carried out using adult earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae. The leaves, stem bark and root bark EOs afforded a total of 40, 26 and 20 constituents representing 90.9%, 94.1% and 90.9% of the total oil fractions respectively. The classes of compounds identified in the leaves, stem bark and root bark are oxygenated monoterpenes (4.1%, 1.7% and 4.0% respectively), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (39.5%, 67.3% and 42.6% respectively), oxygenated sesquiterpenes (18.7%, 22.3% and 30.1% respectively), non-terpene derivatives (12.1%, 2.6% and 14.2% respectively) and apocarotenoids (16.5% and 0.2% in the leaves and stem-bark). β-caryophyllene (23.0%), E-geranylacetone (7.4%), acorenone (6.4%), viridiflorol (6.4%), α-zingiberene (6.3%) and ar-curcumene (4.6%) were the major constituents in the leaves oil, β-caryophyllene (39.3%), selin-11-en-4-α-ol (10.4%), α-zingiberene (9.6%), ar-curcumene (7.2%), caryophyllene oxide (6.4%) and α-humulene (5.6%) were the major constituents in the stem bark oil, while β-caryophyllene (32.1%), selin-11-en-4-α-ol (13.1%), caryophyllene oxide (8.4%), pentadecanal (6.1%) and α -humulene (4.4%) were the major constituents in the root bark oil. β -caryophyllene dominated the oils. The leaf EO was the most active against E. eugeniae worm. All the oils showed a relatively higher activity compared to Albendazole, in a concentration dependent manner. There was significant difference (p<0.001) in activity

Chemical constituents, toxicity and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil of the leaves of Tectona grandis

The leaves of Tectona grandis (Verbanaceae) was subjected to hydrodistillation in order to obtain the essential oil from the plant. The pale yellow essential oil gave a percentage yield of 0.184%. Relative percentages of individual component were analyzed by GC/GC-MS. A total of fifty-four (54) constituents were identified representing 86.5% of the total essential oil fraction. Oxygenated monoterpenes, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated sesquiterpenes, apocarotenoids, phenylpropanoids and non-terpene derivatives were the various classes of compounds identified. The LC50 value from the brine shrimp toxicity assay was 183.29µg/ml. The oil extract was also subjected to antibacterial assay and it showed significant activities against all the clinical test organisms used except Pseudomonas aeruginos

Sustainability opportunities for Mediterranean Food Products through new formulations based on carob flour (Ceratonia siliqua L.)

Carob flour is increasingly popular in innovative functional foods. Its main producers are Mediterranean countries, facing health and nutrition challenges, and difficulties in tackling climate change. This study aims at formulating innovative sustainable bakery products of high nutritional value while pleasing the consumer and addressing regional challenges. Hence, carob flour was obtained by grinding sun-dried carob pods, thus reducing the environmental impact, and preserving carob’s high nutraceutical value. Different bread formulations resulted from the blend of wheat flour with carob pulp (5, 10, 20, and 30%) and/or seed powder (5 and 10%), with no added fats, additives, or processing aids. New products were evaluated for their textural, chromatic, nutritional, aromatic, and hedonic properties. Carob is rich in aroma, antioxidants, and prebiotic fibers, and does not contain gluten, so when combined with wheat, the proportion of gluten in bread is reduced. Carob is also rich in minerals (4.16% and 2.00% ash, respectively in seed and pulp), and breadmaking seems to generate lesser furane derivatives than in white bread. In short, carob is typically Mediterranean and is a valuable local resource in the formulation of sustainable foods with high nutritional value, low carbon footprint, safe, healthy, tasty, and affordable, all at once.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

GC-MS analysis of the essential oils of ripe fruits, roots and flowering aerial parts of Elaeoselinum asclepium subsp. meoides growing in Sicily.

The compositions of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of the ripe fruits, flowering aerial parts and roots of Elaeoselinum asclepium (L.) Bertol subsp. meoides (Desf.) Fiori (Apiaceae) were determined by GC-MS analysis. All the analyzed parts were very rich in α-pinene (77.1%, 92.2% and 60.8%, respectively). Other compounds detected in appreciable amounts were β-pinene (4.3%, 4.0% and 8.2%), and sabinene (11.9% in ripe fruits; 12.8% in aerial parts). The plant synthesizes different classes of monoterpenes, including pinane, camphane, thujane, menthane, and fenchane derivatives, besides some acyclic monoterpenes. Trace amounts of sesquiterpenes and diterpenes were also detected

Chemical composition of the essential oil of Brachyapium dichotomum (L.) Maire

The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Brachyapium dichotomum (L.) Maire (Apiaceae), was analyzed by GC-MS for the first time. Sixty-two compounds were detected, accounting for 96.1% of the total oil, which is characterized by a high content of hydrocarbons derivatives of mono- and sesquiterpenes (80.3%). The main constituents were α-pinene (36.5%), germacrene D (17.9%), dill apiole (6.7%) and myristicin (3.5%)

Survival in different habitats: extreme ultramafic and calcareous soils influence on Stachys recta essential oils composition

Ultramafic soils contain large amounts of magnesium and iron; they are also frequently rich in chromium, cobalt and nickel. They represent a difficult environment for plants to grow on, as they often contain toxic amounts of magnesium and nickel, whilst lacking mineral nutrients (like silicon, phosphorus, potassium and calcium); their dark colour attracts sunlight, which leads to higher temperature and drought conditions (1). On these soils, edaphic adaptation of plants is strongly evident: plants adapted to ultramafic soils exhibit morphological traits that often differ from correlated species growing on different substrates. They are often significantly smaller and show xeromorphic foliage, with reduced leaf size as the most apparent character (2). The aim of this study was to assess the influence of edaphic adaptation to ultramafic soils on a non- morphological level, investigating its role in the composition of the essential oil produced by plants growing on these kind of soils. We investigated the composition of the essential oil (EO) of Stachys recta L. subsp. subcrenata (Vis.) Briq. collected between Nibbiaia and Gabbro (province of Livorno, Italy), grown on an ultramafic soil mainly deriving from the alteration of serpentinites. We compared the yield and the composition of this EO to the one we hydrodistilled from Stachys recta L. subsp. recta L., which had been collected in the same phenological state in La Gruzza, near Montemarcello (province of La Spezia, Italy), on calcareous substrate. Whilst the yields of the two species were comparable, the composition profiles were very different: the EO extracted from S. recta subsp. recta was mainly rich in terpene compounds, which accounted for 93.8%; the species grown on the ultramafic soils, instead, had a volatile profile dominated by non-terpene derivatives, which accounted for 55.7%. In the species grown on the calcareous soil, the main constituents were germacrene D (18.8%), b-caryophyllene (17.7%), 1,8-cineole (15.9%) and a-pinene (14.2%). The EO from S. recta subsp. subcrenata was mainly dominated by 1-octen-3-ol (38.2%), a-cadinol (6.1%), (E)-3- hexen-1-ol (5.9%) and cadinene (5.6%). Considering the extent of the differences shown by the two EOs, it is reasonable to assume that the ultramafic soil plays a central role in the plants’ secondary metabolism, leading to a very different product

Efficacy of an Aqueous Extract of Stellaria media (L.) Cyr. against Eimeria legionensis Infection (Apicomplexa: Eimeridae) in Red-legged Partridges (Alectoris rufa)

Aims: Coccidiosis is one of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in farmed redlegged partridges (Alectoris rufa). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the plant Stellaria media (Caryophyllaceae) on coccidia-infected red-legged partridges. Methodology: Of 9 replicates of redlegged partridges, each composed by 6 coccidia-infected birds (Eimeria legionensis), 3 replicates (S group) received an aqueous extract (12 ml/l) of S. media with drinking water for 3 consecutive days, while 3 further replicates (D group) received 20% sodium sulfaquinoxaline (2 g/l) with drinking water for 3 consecutive days. The remaining 3 replicates did not receive any treatment (C group). The day before the beginning of the treatment (day 0), the last day of the treatment (day 3) and 7 days after the end of the treatment (day 10), individual fresh faecal samples were collected from all examined birds and analysed for presence and number of coccidian oocysts/gram of faeces (OPG). Data were statistically elaborated with the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the Test of Student-Newman-Keuls for multiple comparisons. The percentage of reduction of the mean OPG number was also assessed. In addition, all birds were clinically observed in order to evaluate the appearance of diarrhoea and of other signs of clinical coccidiosis. Results: Seven days after the end of the treatment, birds of the C group showed diarrhoea and significant (P&lt;0.05) higher OPG numbers respect to those of S and D groups, while no significant differences resulted between S and D groups. Moreover, percentages of OPG reduction of 98.61% and 99.60% and of 99.23% and 78.46% were found at day 3 and day 10 for group S and group D, respectively, while an increased mean OPG number was observed in the untreated group (C). Conclusion: After oral administration to the examined red-legged partridges S. media was able not only to prevent the clinical form of coccidiosis, but also to give a significant reduction of E. legionensis OPG number in faecal samples of birds treated with this plant. This reduction resulted comparable to that observed in animals treated with the commercial drug

Essential Oil Composition and in vivo Volatiles Emission by Different Parts of Coleostephus myconis Capitula

The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of the flowering capitula of Coleostephus myconis (syn. Chrysanthemum myconis) was constituted almost exclusively of oxygenated sesquiterpenes (85.8%). The main constituent was T-cadinol (66.2%), followed by valeranone (8.2%), germacrene D (6.0%) and α-cadinol (4.6%). By mean of the SPME technique, the volatiles emitted in vivo by the whole capitula and by tubular and ligulate florets have been identified. Many differences were evidenced among the different organs and with respect to the essential oi

Geographical patterns of in vivo spontaneously emitted volatile organic compounds in Salvia spp.

The genus Salvia is part of the family of the Lamiaceae, comprising almost 1000 different species that make it the largest one in this family; it includes annual, biennial and perennial specimens. It shows a wide variety of characteristics in the specimens, both in the external appearance and the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profiles. Such a wide number of species is due to the almost ubiquitous origin of this genus, but also to the cultivars selection carried out by botanists and private collectors during centuries. In this work, we analysed the spontaneous volatile emission profiles of living samples to evaluate the existence of possible patterns and to find out possible parameters that lead to such patterns. We carried out the analysis on living samples of leaves taken from 30 species of Salvia obtained from a large collection, which has been bestowed the title of “collection of national relevance” by the Italian Botany Society, located at the Botanical Garden of the University of Pisa. Within the collected samples, 14 are specimens whose natural habitat is the Mediterranean Europe and Middle East regions, 14 species have their native environment in the Central and Southern America, and 2 come from South Africa. The sampling was carried out using the Head Space - Solid Phase Micro Extraction technique. The captured volatile organic compounds were then characterized by GC-MS. We carried out a Multivariate Statistical Analysis on the results to show possible relevant patterns: we found out that the spontaneous volatile emission profiles differ significantly accordingly to the geographical origin of the various species. This permitted to hypothesize that the environment plays a fundamental role in Salvia secondary metabolites production: the volatile fraction, in particular, represents the reaction of the specimen to the particular local environment (temperature, humidity, latitude, altitude, pollinators, enemies…), making it a very specific chemotaxonomical marker. These results, once improved with a wider number of specimens analyses, could be used as a method to identify the origins of unknown cultivars and wild Salvia species. At present, the dietary and pharmacological use of Salvia is restricted to a small number of species. This genus exhibits a largely variable thujones (α- and β-thujone) content, which determines the edibility and the potential human toxicity if used in dietary and pharmacological supplements or in essential oil form. Thujone toxicity has been widely studied and its intake can result in neurotoxicity, both acute and chronic: it inhibits GABAA receptors, inducing dose-dependent excitation and convulsions. This becomes especially important in assessing the safety of use in children: in 2011 a report showed the case of a child and a newborn who experienced generalized tonic-clonic seizures after an accidental exposure to sage essential oil. In this study, we also investigated the collected leaves samples to assess the presence (or the lack of) thujone in the spontaneously emitted volatile fraction. We found specimens without thujone, thus making them suitable possible candidates for food and pharmacological use. Furthermore, the different aromatic profiles could suggest different uses of the various species as spices

A Myristicin-rich Essential Oil from Daucus Sahariensis Growing in Algeria:

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from leaves and fruits of Daucus sahariensis Murb. were analyzed by GC/MS. The main constituents of the essential oil from the leaves were myristicin (34.3%), α-pinene (5.4%), cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (5.3%) and epi-α-bisabolol (4.8%), and those from the fruits myristicin (43.9%), α-pinene (13.1%), limonene (9.4%), and cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (7.4%). Myristicin, the main constituent of both essential oils, is generally absent in the oils from other Daucus species, permitting the hypothesis that this compound is a chemical marker of this Saharan species