INFLUENCE OF HARVESTING TIME ON CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL OF ABIES KOREANA TWIGS

Objective: In the present study, the influence of harvesting time (April, June, August and October 2015) on the essential oil composition of Abies koreana twigs from Korea was investigated.Methods: The essential oil from the twigs of A. koreana was isolated by steam distillation and its chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).Results: The essential oil yield was found to vary from 0.76 to 1.20% depending on the month of harvesting. The GC-MS analysis revealed the identification of 26 different essential oil components from the twigs harvested in the months of April, June, August and October, which were mostly monoterpene hydrocarbons (57.63–72.38%) followed by oxygenated monoterpenes (18.82–25.96%). Harvesting time mainly influenced on the concentration of the major components of the essential oil from the twigs of A. koreana. Limonene (17.38–31.13%), bornyl acetate (13.22–21.17%), camphene (12.56–13.26%), α-pinene (11.05–13.02%), β-pinene (4.55–5.70%), 3-carene (5.21–6.43%) and β-eudesmol (1.49–8.24%) were detected as the major components in the essential oil.Conclusion: The main differences between the essential oil compositions of four different months can be referred to limonene and bornyl acetate. The results showed considerable variations in the composition of essential oil, particularly quantitative variation during different harvesting months

Antioxidant, inhibition of α-glucosidase and suppression of nitric oxide production in LPS-induced murine macrophages by different fractions of Actinidia arguta stem

AbstractIn traditional systems of medicine, fruits, leaves, and stems of Actinidia arguta (Sieb. et Zucc.) Planch. ex Miq. have been used to treat various inflammatory diseases. The present study determined the proximate composition, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic potential of A. arguta stem. Phenolic composition of hot water extract and its sub-fractions was determined by Folin–Ciocalteu’s reagent method. In vitro antioxidant activities of the samples were evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radical scavenging assays. Anti-inflammatory activity of different fractions was investigated through the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (1μg/ml) stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, inhibition of α-glucosidase activity of hot water extract was determined using p-nitrophenyl-α-d-glucopyranoside (pNPG) as a substrate. Ethyl acetate (557.23mgGAE/g) fraction contains higher level of total phenolic content. The antioxidant activity evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging assay showed a strong activity for ethyl acetate (IC50 of 14.28μg/ml) and n-butanol fractions (IC50 of 48.27μg/ml). Further, ethyl acetate fraction effectively inhibited NO production in RAW 264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) than other fractions (nitrite level to 32.14μM at 200μg/ml). In addition, hot water extract of A. arguta stem exhibited appreciable inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase enzyme with IC50 of 1.71mg/ml. The obtained results have important consequence of using A. arguta stem toward the development of effective anti-inflammatory drugs

COMPARISON OF VOLATILE COMPOSITION OF SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE EXTRACT FROM RHIZOMES OF KOREAN MEDICINAL PLANT 'CHUN-KUNG' (CNIDIUM OFFICINALE MAKINO) BY DIRECT-AND SPME-GC/MS

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the volatile composition of supercritical fluid extract (SFE) obtained from Cnidium officinale Makino rhizomes. Methods: GC/MS analyses were carried out with the direct- and solid phase microextraction (SPME) of SFE obtained from rhizomes. In addition, GC/MS analysis was performed for the rhizomes of C. officinale using SPME. Results: SPME-GC/MS analysis of the rhizomes revealed the separation of 23 components. Among these, β-phellandrene (20.38%), dictyotene (12.98%), β-pinene (10.59%), β-selinene (9.45%), eugenol (7.71%) and β-farnesene (7.09%) were found to be major components. In the SFE analyzed by direct-GC/MS, linoleic acid (19.26%), 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (18.98%), hexadecanoic acid (12.15%), and β-selinene (9.44%) were identified as major components. Whereas, 3,4-dihydrocoumarin (16.94%), shyobunone (14.07%), dictyotene (10.65%), p-cresol (10.17%), zierone (6.36%) and umbellulone (5.71%) were major components in the SFE analyzed by SPME-GC/MS. Conclusion: The present study clearly suggested that the SPME-GC/MS analysis of SFE provided the separation of more number with diverse groups of compounds than the direct-GC/MS

Herbicidal Activities of Essential Oils from Pine, Nut Pine, Larch and Khingan Fir in Korea

ABSTRACT. The objective of this research was to understand herbicidal activity of essential oils isolated from leaves of pine (Pinus densiflora), nut pine (Pinus koraiensis), larch (Larix kaempferi) and khingan fir (Abies nephrolepsis) in Korea. In a seed bioassay, essential oils of nut pine, larch and khingan fir inhibited the growth of rapeseed (Brassica napus) seedlings by 50% at 4,766, 1,865, 5,934 µg ml , respectively, however, that of pine did not show any herbicidal effect. In a green house experiment, fall panicum, Southern crabgrass, sorghum, barnyardgrass, quackgrass, black nightshade, Indian jointvetch, velvet leaf, and Japanese morningglory were controlled in 24 hours by the foliar application of 10% essential oils from pine, nut pine, larch and khingan fir. The treated plant parts showed burndown effect, however, new shoots appeared 3 days after treatment. Results of GC-MS analysis showed that essential oils from pine, nut pine, larch and khingan fir contained 16, 25, 25, and 16 compounds, respectively, with hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones, and esters. The major compounds of the essential oils were 3-carene, bornyl acetate, camphene, limonene, α-pinene, β-pinene and β-phellandrene

Neuroprotective and Cognitive Enhancement Potentials of Angelica gigas Nakai Root: A Review

Angelica gigas Nakai is an important medicinal plant with health promoting properties that is used to treat many disorders. In traditional herbal medicine, the root of this plant is used to promote blood flow, to treat anemia, and is used as sedative or tonic agent. The root contains various bioactive metabolites; in particular, decursin and decursinol (pyranocoumarin type components) have been reported to possess various pharmacological properties. Recently, several in vitro and in vivo studies have reported that the crude extracts and isolated components from the root of A. gigas exhibited neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement effects. Neuronal damage or death is the most important factor for many neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, recent studies have clearly demonstrated the possible mechanisms behind the neuroprotective action of extracts/compounds from the root of A. gigas. In the present review, we summarized the neuroprotective and cognitive enhancement effects of extracts and individual compounds from A. gigas root

Influence of Fragrances on Human Psychophysiological Activity: With Special Reference to Human Electroencephalographic Response

The influence of fragrances such as perfumes and room fresheners on the psychophysiological activities of humans has been known for a long time, and its significance is gradually increasing in the medicinal and cosmetic industries. A fragrance consists of volatile chemicals with a molecular weight of less than 300 Da that humans perceive through the olfactory system. In humans, about 300 active olfactory receptor genes are devoted to detecting thousands of different fragrance molecules through a large family of olfactory receptors of a diverse protein sequence. The sense of smell plays an important role in the physiological effects of mood, stress, and working capacity. Electrophysiological studies have revealed that various fragrances affected spontaneous brain activities and cognitive functions, which are measured by an electroencephalograph (EEG). The EEG is a good temporal measure of responses in the central nervous system and it provides information about the physiological state of the brain both in health and disease. The EEG power spectrum is classified into different frequency bands such as delta (0.5–4 Hz), theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (8–13 Hz), beta (13–30 Hz) and gamma (30–50 Hz), and each band is correlated with different features of brain states. A quantitative EEG uses computer software to provide the topographic mapping of the brain activity in frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital brain regions. It is well known that decreases of alpha and beta activities and increases of delta and theta activities are associated with brain pathology and general cognitive decline. In the last few decades, many scientific studies were conducted to investigate the effect of inhalation of aroma on human brain functions. The studies have suggested a significant role for olfactory stimulation in the alteration of cognition, mood, and social behavior. This review aims to evaluate the available literature regarding the influence of fragrances on the psychophysiological activities of humans with special reference to EEG changes

Influence of Binasal and Uninasal Inhalations of Essential Oil of Abies koreana Twigs on Electroencephalographic Activity of Human

Objectives. The present work investigates the effect of essential oil from the twigs of Abies koreana on electroencephalographic (EEG) activity of human brain in order to understand the influence of binasal and uninasal inhalations. Methods. To accomplish this study, the essential oil from the twigs of A. koreana (AEO) was isolated by steam distillation and the EEG readings were recorded using QEEG-8 system from 8 grounding electrodes according to the International 10-20 System. Results. D-Limonene (25.29%), bornyl acetate (19.31%), camphene (12.48%), α-pinene (11.88%), β-pinene (6.45%), and eudesm-7(11)-en-ol (5.38%) were the major components in the essential oil. In the EEG study, the absolute alpha (left frontal and right parietal) and absolute fast alpha (right parietal) values significantly increased during the binasal inhalation of AEO. In the uninasal inhalation, absolute beta and theta values decreased significantly, especially in the right frontal and left and right parietal regions. The results revealed that the AEO produced different EEG power spectrum changes according to the nostril difference. Conclusion. The changes in EEG values due to the inhalation of AEO may contribute to the enhancement of relaxation (binasal inhalation) and alertness/attention (right uninasal inhalation) states of brain which could be used in aromatherapy treatments

The Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Essential Oil from Korean Native Thyme Bak-Ri-Hyang (<i>Thymus quinquecostatus</i> Celak.)

Thymus quinquecostatus Celak. (Korean name: bak-ri-hyang) is an important medicinal and aromatic herb in Korea, which is named for the spread of its fragrance over a distance of approximately 40 km. In traditional Korean systems of medicine, T. quinquecostatus has been used to treat cancer, constipation, hepatic disease, arteriosclerosis, poor circulation in women, constipation, and menstrual irregularities. At present, T. quinquecostatus is used only for ornamental and ground cover purposes. A literature search was conducted to retrieve information regarding the essential oil composition and biological properties of T. quinquecostatus from PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley, Springer, Taylor and Francis, Wiley, and other literature databases. T. quinquecostatus can be divided into different chemotypes, such as γ-terpinene, thymol, phenol, carvacrol, and geraniol, according to the presence of major components in its essential oil. Further, the essential oil from T. quinquecostatus has been reported to possess various therapeutic properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sleep prolonging, soothing, skin protection and whitening, anti-aging, anti-obesity, and anti-acne properties. In conclusion, this review will be helpful for utilizing the T. quinquecostatus plant in different industries including food, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, perfumery, and cosmetics

Variations in the Chemical Composition of Essential Oils in Native Populations of Korean Thyme, Thymus quinquecostatus Celak.

The genus Thymus (Lamiaceae) contains numerous medicinally important species. Among them, Thymus quinquecostatus Celak. has been extensively utilized as a traditional medicine and a food flavoring agent in the Korean peninsula, owing to its unique aroma. In particular, T. quinquecostatus has been used for the treatment of gastroenteritis, inflammation, stomach problems, liver disease, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, and menstrual problems. This study aimed to investigate the chemical diversity of essential oils among 103 Korean native populations of T. quinquecostatus. For this purpose, seedlings of T. quinquecostatus populations were purchased from different regions in the Korean Peninsula, and seedlings were grown in the experimental field under the same environmental conditions. The chemical compositions of steam-distilled essential oils were determined using GC-MS. In total, 212 components were identified from 103 populations of T. quinquecostatus. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed in order to understand variations in the essential oil compositions among 103 Korean native populations of T. quinquecostatus. According to the essential oil compositions, 30 components were selected for PCA. Based on the most abundant essential oil components, four chemotypes were identified in T. quinquecostatus populations. PCA and cluster analyses revealed that 103 individuals of T. quinquecostatus could be classified into four clusters, such as thymol, geraniol, geranyl acetate, and linalool. Furthermore, dendrogram construction demonstrated that geraniol and geranyl acetate, as well as linalool and thymol groups, were closely related. This study suggested the significant chemical polymorphism of essential oils in local populations of T. quinquecostatus in Korea. It could be concluded that the intraspecific variations in the essential oil compositions may be associated with genetic diversity among the individuals