Phyto-pharmacological aspects of Nepeta nuda L.: A systematic review

Nepeta nuda L. (syn. N. pannonica L.) is a herbaceous perennial plant that is the most widespread species of the genus Nepeta, the largest genera in Lamiaceae family. N. nuda is divided into four subspecies according to morphological differences which occur within large geographical range of distribution: subsp. nuda, subsp. albiflora, subsp. lydiae, and subsp. glandulifera. In this review, previous reports on N. nuda concerning its botanical description and systematics, phytochemistry, use in traditional medicine, pharmacology, and posibilities for other applications were summarized. All of these data indicate N. nuda as a highly promising species for application in food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in agriculture for the development of natural pesticides

Примена lc–ms/ms технике са јонском покретљивошћу за хемијску анализу екстраката прополиса са антимикробним потенцијалом.

The objective of this study was to test four-dimensional LC-ESI-MS/MS chromatography in analysis of complex mixture such as ethanol extracts of different propolis samples. In total more than 1200 picks were identified and only for 185 literature conformation was found. The given data represent the result of tentative identification, and summarized results are given in the text. Comparing the samples, from different altitudes, 96 components were detected as characteristic in high altitude samples and 18 in samples collected at low altitudes. Antimicrobial activity of ethanol extracts of propolis (EEP) and pro­pyl­ene glycol extracts of propolis (PGEP) were carried out on S. aureus, B. cereus, M. flavus, L. monocytogenes, P. aeruginosa, S. typhimurium, E. coli and E. cloacae bacterial strains and compared with broad-spectrum antibiotics, streptomycin and ampicillin. Anti-quorum sensing activity was performed on P. aeruginosa by testing the effect of representative propolis extracts on bio­film formation, twitching and motility activity and production of pyocyanin. We demonstrated that the majority of explored propolis extracts have greater or equal minimal inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concen­tra­tion values compared to antibiotics, independently of the solvent used for the extraction. The samples collected from the highest altitude emerged as least active antimicrobial agents but with the greatest potential as anti-quorum sen­sing agents.Циљ овог истраживања је билo тестирање четвородимензионалне LC–ESI-MS/MS хроматографије у анализи комплексних смеша, као што су етанолни екстракти различитих узорака прополиса. Укупно је идентификовано више од 1200 пикова, а самo за 185 смо нашли литературну потврду. Приказани подаци представљају тентативну идентификацију и сумирани резултат је дат у тексту. Поређењем узорака са различитих надморских висина, за 96 једињења је утврђено да се налазе само у узорцима са високе надморске висине и 18 само у узорцима прикупљеним на нижим надморским висинама. Антибактеријске активности етанолних и пропиленгликолних екстрактата прополиса (EEP и PGEP, редом) тестиране су на S. aureus, B. cereus, M. flavus, L. monocytogenes, P. aeruginosa, S. typhimurium, E. coli и E. cloacae бактеријским линијама и поређене са анти- биотицима широког спектра деловања, стрептомицином и ампицилином. Anti-quorum sensing активност је тестирана на P. aeruginosa испитивањем ефекта репрезентативних екстраката прополиса на формирање биофилма, тестовима покретљивости руба коло- није (twitching и mobility) и производње пиоцианина. Показали смо да највећи број, коришћених екстраката прополиса, има истe и/или мање MIC и MBC вредности, у поре- ђењу са атибиотицима, независно од растварача коришћеног за екстракцију. Узорци прикупљени на високим надморским висинама су се показали као најмање активни антибактерициди али имају велики anti-quorum sensing потенцијал.Part of the theme issue honoring Professor Emeritus Slobodan Milosavljevićs 80th birthday

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

Srpski crni tartuf tuber aestivum: mikrobiota I uticaj različitih režima smrzavanja na isparljiiva aromatična jedinjenja tokom skladištenja

The use of truffles in food is based mainly on the addition of artificial flavors, aiming to achieve an intense aroma in the products. As truffle is a natural product with nutritional and functional properties, it is important to find an optimal method for truffle storage. As the microbiota contribute to truffle aroma, the bacterial and yeast compositions in the rhizosphere and fruiting body of the truffle and the impact of different freezing methods on the volatile profile of the truffle Tuber aestivum during 90 days of the storage were determined. Bacteria and yeasts isolates were identified using 16s rRNA and 18s rRNA. The effect of freezing truffles at -20°C and -80°C with and without previous dipping in liquid N2 on the volatile compounds was observed using GC/MS. The results demonstrated that the isolated bacteria belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and the identified species mainly belonged to Firmicutes, genus Bacillus sp. Isolated yeasts were identified as Cryptococcus sp., Debaromyces hanseinii, Candida fermentati and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. The GC/MS analysis revealed that frozen truffle samples were richer in the compounds 2-butanone, 2-methyl-butanal, methanethiol and 2-butanol after freezing or during storage. The content of DMS, acetaldehyde, 3-octanone, ethanol, and 2-methyl-1-propanol significantly decreased immediately after freezing. Overall, the gained results indicated that freezing of truffles as a preservation method had profound effects on the volatile compounds, while previous dipping in liquid N2 showed no significant impact on the volatile profile of truffle Tuber aestivum.Primena tartufa u hrani se uglavnom zasniva na dodavanju veštačkih aroma, sa ciljem postizanja intenzivne arome tartufa u proizvodima. S obzirom na to da su tartufi proizvodi sa nutritivnim i funkcionalnim karakteristikama, važno je pronaći optimalan način za skladištenje tartufa. Pošto mikrobiota doprinosi aromi tartufa, sastav bakterija i kvasaca u rizosferi i plodonosnom telu srpskog tartufa, kao i uticaj različitih metoda smrzavanja na isparljiva jedinjenja tartufa Tuber aestivum ispitivan je tokom 90 dana skladištenja. Bakterije i kvasci su izolovani iz svežeg tartufa i izolati su identifikovani korišćenjem 16s rRNK i 18s rRNK. Uticaj smrzavanja tartufa na -20°C i -80°C sa i bez prethodnog potapanja u tečni N2 na sadržaj isparljivih jedinjenja ispitivan je korišćenjem GC/MS. Rezultati ispitivanja su pokazali da izolovane bakterije pripadaju carstvu Proteobacteria, Firmicutes i Actinobacteria, pri čemu identifikovane vrste uglavnom pripadaju Firmicutes, rod Bacillus sp. Izolovani kvasci su identifikovani kao Cryptococcus sp., Debaromyces hanseinii, Candida fermentati i Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. Analiza GC/MS je ukazala na razlike u profilu isparljivih jedinjenja svežeg i smrznutog tartufa. Smrznuti uzorci su više sadržali komponente kao što su 2-butanon, 2-metil-butanal, metanetiol i 2-butanol nakon smrzavanja ili tokom skladištenja. Sadržaj DMS, acetaldehida, 3-octanona, etanola, 2-metil-1-propanola značajno se smanjio odmah nakon smrzavanja. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju da smrzavanje tartufa kao metoda konzervacije ima značajan uticaj na isparljiva jedinjenja, pri čemu potapanje u tečni N2 nije pokazalo značajan uticaj na isparljiva jedinjenja tartufa Tuber aestivum

Hemijski sastav etarskog ulja Achillea clypeolata Sibth. & Sm. i QSRR model za predviđanje retencionog vremena

The aim of this study was the prediction model of retention indices of compounds from the aboveground parts of Achillea clypeolata Sibth. & Sm. essential oil, obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC–MS. The quantitative structure–retention relationship analysis was applied in order to anticipate the retention time of the obtained compounds. The selection of the seven molecular descriptors was done by a genetic algorithm. The chosen descriptors were uncorrelated and were used to construct an artificial neural network. A total of 40 experimentally obtained retention indices was used to build this prediction model. The coefficient of determination for the training, testing and validation cycles were: 0.950, 0.825 and 1.000, respectively, indicating that this model could be used for prediction of retention indices for A. clypeolata, essential oil compounds.Cilj ove studije bio je izrada modela za predviđanja retencionog vremena hemijskih jedinjenja iz esencijalnog ulja nadzemnih delova biljke Achillea clypeolata Sibth. & Sm., dobijenog hidrodistilacijom i analiziranog GC–MS tehnikom. Kvantitativna analiza hemijske strukture i predviđanja retencionog vremena (quantitative structure – retention relationship – QSRR) je primenjena da bi se predvidelo vreme zadržavanja hemijskih jedinjenja dobijenih korišćenjem GC–MS analize. Izbor sedam molekulskih deskriptora izvršen je korišćenjem faktorske analize i genetskog algoritma. Primećeno je da izabrani deskriptori nisu bili u međusobnoj korelaciji, pa su korišćeni kao ulazni podaci pri izgradnji veštačke neuronske mreže. U izgradnji modela predviđanja retencionih vremena korišćeno je ukupno 40 eksperimentalno dobijenih retencionih vremena. Koeficijent determinacije tokom ciklusa pripreme, testiranja i validacije dostigao je vrednosti 0,950; 0,825 i 1,000, redom, što ukazuje na to da se ovaj model može koristiti za predviđanje retencionih vremena hemijskih jedinjenja dobijenih iz esencijalnog ulja A. clypeolata

Comparative analysis of chemical composition of essential oils from aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L.) and star anise (Illicium verum Hook.)

Anis (Pimpinella anisum L.) je jednogodišnja zeljasta biljka iz familije Apiaceae poreklom iz Mediteranske regije sa širokim arealom rasprostranjenja, dok je zvezdasti anis (Ilicium verum Hook.) višegodišnja drvenasta biljka iz familije Illiciaceae sa veoma uskim arealom gajenja koji obuhvata južni deo Kine i Vijetnam. Kod anisa se koristi plod sa semenom a kod zvezdastog anisa se koristi plod bez semena, koji je karakterističnog zvezdastog oblika, ali je i seme takođe bogato etarskim uljem. Obe ove vrste sadrže etarsko ulje, i to anis oko 1,7%, a zvezdasti anis od 4,3 do 6,7% u semenu, odnosno u plodu. U etarskom ulju obe biljne vrste dominantna komponenta je trans-anetol sa 93,2-96,4%.Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) is a herbaceous annual plant from Apiaceae family. It originates from the Mediterranean region where it is quite widespread. On the other hand, star anise (Ilicium verum Hook.) is an evergreen perennial plant from Illiciaceae family. The cultivation of the plant is restricted to south China and Vietnam. Fruit with seed is used from anise, while fruit without seed is used from star anise. The fruit of star anise derives its name from the characteristic star shape. The seed of this plant is rich in essential oil. Both species contain essential oil both in the seed as well as in the fruit, anise approximately 1.7%, star anise from 4.3 to 6.7%. The dominant component in essential oils of both species is trans-anethole (93.2-96.4%)

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

Chemical Characterization and Antibacterial Activity of Essential Oil of Medicinal Plants from Eastern Serbia

The objective of this study was to evaluate wild growing Satureja kitaibelii, Thymus serpyllum, Origanum vulgare, Achillea millefolium and Achillea clypeolata with respect to their essential oil (EO) content, composition and antimicrobial activity. The five species were collected at Mt. Rtanj and the village of Sesalac, Eastern Serbia. The main EO constituents of Lamiaceae plants were p-cymene (24.4%), geraniol (63.4%) and germacrene D (21.5%) in Satureja kitaibelii, Thymus serpyllum and Origanum vulgare ssp. vulgare, respectively. A. millefolium EO had multiple constituents with major ones being camphor (9.8%), caryophyllene oxide (6.5%), terpinen-4-ol (6.3%) and 1,8-cineole (5.6%), while the main EO constituents of A. clypeolata were 1,8-cineole (45.1%) and camphor (18.2%). Antimicrobial testing of the EO showed that Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) was more sensitive to all of the tested EOs than Escherichia coli (Gram-negative). S. kitaibelii EO showed the highest antimicrobial activity against both tested bacterial strains. This is the first study to characterize the EO composition and antimicrobial activity of these five medicinal species from Eastern Serbia in comparison with comprehensive literature data. The results can be utilized by the perfumery, cosmetics, food and pharmaceutical industries, but also for healing purposes in self-medication

Essential oil quality of chamomile grown in Province of Vojvodina

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L., Asteraceae) is one of the most popular medicinal plants used as a herb infusion for treating numerous ailments, including sleep disorders, anxiety, digestion and intestinal conditions etc. Chamomile essential oil is used in a wide variety of consumer goods such as detergents, soaps, toiletries, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, perfumes, confectionery food products, soft drinks, distilled alcoholic beverages (hard liquor) and as insecticide. According to the European Pharmacopoeia, there are two types of essential oils, one rich in bisabolol oxides and the other in α-bisabolol, which are preferred for tea brewing because of its sweet, grassy, and slightly fruity aroma. From the other side, varieties rich in chamazulene and β-farnesene have bitter taste, and because of that they are low valuable raw material. According to the results of the essential oil composition obtained from three different chamomile samples grown in Province of Vojvodina, it could be concluded that domestic cultivars “Banatska” and “Tetraploidna” contains β-farnesene as dominant compound, while the content of bisabolol oxides and α-bisabolol was lower than required standards in European Pharmacopoeia. Because of that they could not be classified as quality raw material. The German cultivar “Mabamille” grown in agroecological conditions of Vojvodina region, with 37.5% of α-bisabolol can be classified as a bisabolol rich type, and as high quality row material.Kamilica (Matricaria chamomilla L., Asteraceae) je jedna od najpopularnijih lekovitih biljaka koja se upotrebljava u obliku infuza (čaja) za lečenje mnogih stanja i bolesti, uključujući poremećaje sna, napetost, probleme organa za varenje itd. Etarsko ulje kamilice se koristi u mnogim granama industrije: hemijskoj (kao dodatak deterdžentima), kozmetičkoj (u sapunima, sredstvima za ličnu higijenu), farmaceutskoj, parfimerijskoj i prehrambenoj industriji (u slatkišima, alkoholnim i bezalkoholnim pićima) i kao insekticid. Prema Evropskoj Farmakopeji, postoje dva tipa etarskog ulja kamilice, prvi koji je bogat bisabolol oksidima i drugi bogat α-bisabololom. Oba tipa su poželjna u industriji čajnih napitaka zbog njihovog slatkog, osvežavajućeg ukusa blago voćne arome. Sa druge strane, varijeteti bogati hamazulenom i β-farnezenom imaju gorak ukus i zbog toga predstavljaju manje vrednu biljnu sirovinu. Na osnovu rezultata hemijskog sastava etarskog ulja tri različita uzorka kamilice gajene u Pokrajini Vojvodini od strane individualnih poljoprivrednih proizvođača, može se zaključiti da domaće sorte “Banatska” i “Tetraploidna” sadrže β-farnezen kao dominantnu komponentu, dok je sadržaj bisabolol oksida i α-bisabolola niži nego što zahtevaju standardi u Evropskoj Farmakopeji, zbog čega se ne mogu kategorisati kao kvalitetni biljni materijal. Nemačka sorta “Mabamille” gajena u agroekološkim uslovima pokrajine Vojvodine, sa 37,5% α-bisabolola pripada bisabolol tipu kamilice i predstavlja visoko kvalitetnu sirovinu