Screening of Volatile Compounds, Traditional and Modern Phytotherapy Approaches of Selected Non-Aromatic Medicinal Plants (Lamiaceae, Lamioideae) from Rtanj Mountain, Eastern Serbia

Ironwort (Sideritis montana L.), mountain germander (Teucrium montanum L.), wall germander (Teucrium chamaedrys L.), and horehound (Marrubium peregrinum L.) are species widely distributed across Europe and are also found in North Africa and West Asia. Because of their wide distribution they express significant chemical diversity. For generations, these plants have been used as medical herbs for treating different aliments. The aim of this paper is to analyze volatile compounds of four selected species that belong to the subfamily Lamioideae, family Lamiaceae, and inspect scientifically proven biological activities and potential uses in modern phytotherapy in relation to traditional medicine. Therefore, in this research, we analyze the volatile compounds from this plants, obtained in laboratory by a Clevenger-type apparatus, followed by liquid–liquid extraction with hexane as the solvent. The identification of volatile compounds is conducted by GC-FID and GC-MS. Although these plants are poor in essential oil, the most abundant class of volatile components are mainly sesquiterpenes: germacrene D (22.6%) in ironwort, 7-epi-trans-sesquisabinene hydrate (15.8%) in mountain germander, germacrene D (31.8%) and trans-caryophyllene (19.7%) in wall germander, and trans-caryophyllene (32.4%) and trans-thujone (25.1%) in horehound. Furthermore, many studies show that, in addition to the essential oil, these plants contain phenols, flavonoids, diterpenes and diterpenoids, iridoids and their glycosides, coumarins, terpenes, and sterols, among other active compounds, which affect biological activities. The other goal of this study is to review the literature that describes the traditional use of these plants in folk medicine in regions where they grow spontaneously and compare them with scientifically confirmed activities. Therefore, a bibliographic search is conducted on Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar to gather information related to the topic and recommend potential applications in modern phytotherapy. In conclusion, we can say that selected plants could be used as natural agents for promoting health, as a source of raw material in the food industry, and as supplements, as well as in the pharmaceutical industry for developing plant-based remedies for prevention and treatment of many diseases, especially cancer

Uticaj tretmana posležetvene separacije na kvalitet etarskog ulja kamilice

Ecological conditions of the growing areas, growing practices as well as harvest and postharvest processing influence the yield and quality of chamomile. The aim of this research was to determine the influence of chamomile separation methods, as postharvest treatments, on the essential oil quality and content, with a view to improve current primary processing of this valuable medicinal plant. In order to explain the structure of laboratory data that would give deeper assessment of similarities among various samples of chamomile essential oil, PCA was employed. Tested results showed that separation of chamomile plant material, as postharvest and pre-drying treatment, had significant influence on the number of identified compounds in the chamomile essential oil. The highest content of individual essential oil compounds had chamomile flowers with short stems, especially α-bisabolol, chamazulene, Z-spiroether and E-β-farnesene. In the essential oil obtained from chamomile flowers with long stems, content of α-bisabolol and chamazulene were significantly lower, while E-β-farnesene and Z-spiroether contents were significantly higher. Furthermore, in the essential oil obtained from chamomile plant material without separation, the lowest content of α-bisabolol and Z-spiroether, and the highest content of E-β-farnesene were recorded. The correlation analysis was performed to investigate the likeness in the amounts of the active compounds of essential oil from differently processed chamomile samples. All these results indicate the importance of precise and controlled postharvest treatments, since it clearly affects the essential oil quality and content in the primary processing of this valuable medicinal plant.Ekološki uslovi proizvodnog područja, tehnologija gajenja kao i žetva, ali i posležetveni tretmani značajno utiču na prinos i kvalitet kamilice. Cilj ovog istraživanja je bio da se odredi uticaj metoda separacije, kao posležetvenog tretmana, na kvalitet etarskog ulja, sa ciljem da se unapredi process primarne prerade ove lekovite biljke. Da bi se objasnila struktura laboratorijskih podataka, procenile i sagledale sličnosti i razlike između uzoraka etarskih ulja kamilice dobijenih primenom različitih metoda separacije, korišćena je PCA metoda. Dobijeni rezultati pokazuju da separacija sirovine kamilice kao posležetveni tretman koji prethodi sušenju, ima značajnog uticaja na broj identifikovanih komponenti u etarskom ulju, ali i njihov udeo. Najmanji broj pojedinačnih komponenti u etarskom ulju je imao uzorak cvetnih glavica sa kratkom drškom, pri čemu je zabeležen najveći sadržaj α-bisabolol, hamazulen, Z-spiroeter i E-β-farnesen. U etarskom ulju dobijenom od biljne sirovine sa većim udelom stabla kamilice, sadržaj α-bisabolola i hamazulena je bio značajno niži, dok je sadržaj E-β-farnesena i Z-spiroetera bio značajno viši. Dalje, u etarskom ulju dobijenom od bioljnog materijala bez separacije, zabeležen je najniži sadržaj α bisabolola i Z-spiroetera, i najveći sadržaj E-β-farnesena. Analiza korelacije je izvedena da bi se ispitala sličnost u sadržaju aktivnih komponenti u etarskom ulju dobijenom primenom različitih procesa separacije kamilice. Svi rezultati ukazuju na značaj primene posležetvenih tretmana, jer se jasno vidi njihov uticaj na kvalitet etarskog ulja ove veoma važne lekovite biljke

Volatile compounds of Nepeta nuda L. from Rtanj Mountain (Serbia)

Unlike other studies that only determined the chemical composition of essential oils depending on their geographic origin, this research investigated the effect of weather conditions (temperature, precipitation, and insolation) on the chemical composition of Nepeta nuda L. essential oil. The collection of wild-growing N. nuda was carried out during three successive years, 2019, 2020, and 2021 at Rtanj Mountain (Serbia) on the same date (July 7th). Essential oil extraction from the plant was performed by hydro-distillation. After gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis, a total of 102 volatile compounds were separated from N. nuda, during the observed period, 28 were unidentified, compromising between 5.0% and 8.7%, depending on the year. A multiple linear regression model was created, and statistical analyses were performed to provide knowledge about the prediction, feature profile, and the similarity in contents of active compounds of the N. nuda essential oil. The influence of temperature on the accumulation of the most abundant component, 1,8-cineole, was positive, while the impact of precipitation and insolation was negative. According to the cluster tree, there are four chemotypes of N. nuda essential oil: with nepetalactone, 1,8-cineole, mixed (nepetalactone+1,8-cineole+germacrene D), and nonspecific chemotypes. Bearing in mind that the biological activity of a raw material depends on the chemotype and environmental factors, this is a topic that deserves a more detailed approach. The N. nuda and its essential oil are promising materials with high biological potential, and these deserve further detailed investigation

Weather conditions Influence on lavandin essential oil and hydrolate quality

Lavandula sp. essential oil and hydrolate are commercially valuable in various industry branches with the potential for wide-ranging applications. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of these products obtained from L. x intermedia cv. ‘Budrovka’ for the first time cultivated on Fruška Gora Mt. (Serbia) during three successive seasons (2019, 2020, and 2021). Essential oil extraction was obtained by steam distillation, and the composition and influence of weather conditions were also assessed, using flowering tops. The obtained essential oils and hydrolates were analysed by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A linear regression model was developed to predict L. x intermedia cv. ‘Budrovka’ essential oil volatile compound content and hydrolate composition during three years, according to temperature and precipitation data, and the appropriate regression coefficients were calculated, while the correlation analysis was employed to analyse the correlations in hydrolate and essential oil compounds. To completely describe the structure of the research data that would present a better insight into the similarities and differences among the diverse L. x intermedia cv. ‘Budrovka’ samples, the PCA was used. The most dominant in L. intermedia cv. ‘Budrovka’ essential oil and hydrolate were oxygenated monoterpenes: linalool, 1,8-cineole, borneol, linalyl acetate, and terpinene-4-ol. It is established that the temperature was positively correlated with all essential oil and hydrolate compounds. The precipitations were positively correlated with the main compounds (linalool, 1,8-cineole, and borneol), while the other compounds’ content negatively correlated to precipitation. The results indicated that Fruška Gora Mt. has suitable agro-ecological requirements for cultivating Lavandula sp. and providing satisfactory essential oil and hydrolat

Weather Conditions Influence on Lavandin Essential Oil and Hydrolate Quality

Lavandula sp. essential oil and hydrolate are commercially valuable in various industry branches with the potential for wide-ranging applications. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of these products obtained from L. x intermedia cv. ‘Budrovka’ for the first time cultivated on Fruška Gora Mt. (Serbia) during three successive seasons (2019, 2020, and 2021). Essential oil extraction was obtained by steam distillation, and the composition and influence of weather conditions were also assessed, using flowering tops. The obtained essential oils and hydrolates were analysed by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A linear regression model was developed to predict L. x intermedia cv. ‘Budrovka’ essential oil volatile compound content and hydrolate composition during three years, according to temperature and precipitation data, and the appropriate regression coefficients were calculated, while the correlation analysis was employed to analyse the correlations in hydrolate and essential oil compounds. To completely describe the structure of the research data that would present a better insight into the similarities and differences among the diverse L. x intermedia cv. ‘Budrovka’ samples, the PCA was used. The most dominant in L. intermedia cv. ‘Budrovka’ essential oil and hydrolate were oxygenated monoterpenes: linalool, 1,8-cineole, borneol, linalyl acetate, and terpinene-4-ol. It is established that the temperature was positively correlated with all essential oil and hydrolate compounds. The precipitations were positively correlated with the main compounds (linalool, 1,8-cineole, and borneol), while the other compounds’ content negatively correlated to precipitation. The results indicated that Fruška Gora Mt. has suitable agro-ecological requirements for cultivating Lavandula sp. and providing satisfactory essential oil and hydrolate. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Variation of Salvia officinalis L. essential oil and hydrolate composition and their antimicrobial activity

This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of steam distillate essential oil and corresponding hydrolate obtained from S. officinalis grown in Serbia, as well as the influence of weather conditions (temperature and precipitations) on their chemical profiles. Furthermore, their antimicrobial activity was investigated in vitro. The main compounds in essential oil were cis-thujone, followed by camphor, trans-thujone, and 1,8-cineole, while hydrolate was slightly different from the essential oil, with camphor, cis-thujone, and 1,8-cineole as the main compounds. Among the eight respiratory-associated microorganisms, Klebsiella oxytoca was the most sensitive to the tested EOs (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)/minimal bactericidal/fungicidal concentration (MBC/MFC) were 14.20 and 28.4 μL mL−1, respectively). MIC and MBC values of other tested bacteria ranged between 28.40 and 227.25 μL mL−1 while for Candida albicans MIC/MFC ranged from 28.40/56.81 to 56.81–113.63 μL mL−1. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns for the analyzed eight respiratory-associated microorganisms showed an intermediate level of resistance to commonly used antibiotics such as ampicillin, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. As a preliminary approach to the antimicrobial profiling of the tested EO, the obtained results revealed that the tested samples possess remarkable antibacterial activities and could be used to develop pharmaceutical formulations as an alternative to conventional antibiotic therapy

Weather Conditions Influence on Hyssop Essential Oil Quality

This paper is a study of the chemical composition of Hyssopus officinalis ssp. officinalis grown during three years (2017–2019) at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops Novi Sad (Vojvodina Province, Serbia). Furthermore, comparisons with ISO standards during the years were also investigated, as well as a prediction model of retention indices of compounds from the essential oils. An essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS was isopinocamphone chemotype. The gathered information about the volatile compounds from H. officinalis was used to classify the samples using the unrooted cluster tree. The correlation analysis was applied to investigate the similarity of different samples, according to GC-MS data. The quantitative structure–retention relationship (QSRR) was also employed to predict the retention indices of the identified compounds. A total of 74 experimentally obtained retention indices were used to build a prediction model. The coefficient of determination for the training cycle was 0.910, indicating that this model could be used for the prediction of retention indices for H. officinalis essential oil compounds

The effect of excessive coca-cola consumption on the development of dental erosions

The last few years have brought many changes in daily habits and overall lifestyle of human population, which is accompanied by increased exposure to acidic substances and increased consumption of acidic food. Regardless of the numerous warnings given by the World Health Organization about the harmful effects of carbonated beverages on general health, popularity and frequency of Coca-Cola usage have been growing steadily. Numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated its potential negative effects on tooth structure. Good health education in developed countries has improved the awareness of the importance of oral hygiene; on the other hand, greater consumption of soft drinks has increased the incidence of dental erosions. Effective prevention and monitoring of dental erosions mostly depend on the knowledge about the etiology and early recognition of signs and symptoms of these lesions in clinical practice

Applicability of visual-analogue scale in patients with orofacial pain

Introduction. Orofacial pain occurs in various disorders of the orofacial region. Objective. The aim of this study was to examine applicability of the visual-analogue scale (VAS) in patients with orofacial pain (model of acute and chronic pain). Methods. The study involved 60 patients, aged 18-70 years. The first group consisted of patients with dentin hypersensitivity, and the second group of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. All patients were asked to fill-in a pain questionnaire and to rate pain intensity on the modified visual analogue scale (VAS; 0-10). Air indexing method was performed in the patients with dentin hypersensitivity in order to provoke pain, while the patients with chronic rhinosinusitis underwent CT imaging of paranasal sinuses. Wilcoxon’s test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used for statistical analysis. Results. In patients with dentin hypersensitivity provocation increased subjective feeling of pain, but without statistical significance (t=164.5; p>0.05). In patients with chronic rhinosinusitis a significant statistical correlation (r=0.53; p<0.05) was found between subjective pain assessment of VAS and CT findings. Conclusion. Applying VAS in the evaluation of acute and chronic pain can indicate progression or regression of pathological state under clinical conditions. This study showed that VAS, as a method for follow-up of pathological state, is more applicable and efficient when applied in chronic pain evaluation

Bacterial flora on the surface of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the microbial presence and type in the biofilms present on the surface of oral squamous cell carcinomas and benign lesions of oral mucosa. Methods: Thirty new (untreated) patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma were examined. The control group consisted of thirty subjects with benign lesions of oral mucosa. Swab samples were taken from the superficial layer of the carcinoma and benign lesions for bacteriological examination. Swabs were transported within 2 hours and immediately sown and incubated. Oral health index was assessed in all patients. Results: The prevalence of pathological bacterial microflora was significantly higher in cancer patients (p<0.01). No significant associations were found between bacterial presence and gender, localization, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and denture wearing (p>0.05). Poor oral hygiene was also registered in cancer patients. Conclusion: Possibility of microflora retention on irregular oral carcinoma surface possibly contributes to chronic inflammation often observed on the surface of oral carcinomas