Chemical Composition of Essential Oils of Aromatic and Medicinal Herbs Cultivated in Greece—Benefits and Drawbacks

The current study investigated and determined the major compounds of six essential oils derived from different plant species cultivated in Greece (Lavandula angustifolia, Origanum vulgare, Pistacia lentiscus var. chia, Citrus reticulata, Citrus limon and Crithmum maritimum). The results proved that all these essential oils have a high potential for use as food preservatives, since among the compounds determined were sabinene, b-myrcene, a-pinene, carvacrol and limonene, all of which were responsible for the strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. However, the amounts of some compounds, such as linalool and citral, were at high levels, and this can be a danger for some sensitive population groups due to allergic reactions. The essential oil compounds which were identified using GC-MS and quantified through GC-FID represented more than 95% of the total essential oils of the investigated plant species. Finally, all essential oils provided high phenolic content.

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Essential Oil Composition, Total Phenolic Content, and Antioxidant Activity - Determined from Leaves, Flowers and Stems of Origanum Vulgare L. Var. Aureum

“Agriculture for Life Life for Agriculture” Conference Proceedings ◽

10.2478/alife-2018-0087 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 555-561

Author(s):

Cristian Moisa ◽

Lucian Copolovici ◽

Georgeta Pop ◽

Andreea Lupitu ◽

Virgiliu Ciutina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Total Phenolic Content ◽

Phenolic Content ◽

Biologically Active ◽

Total Phenolic ◽

Alcoholic Extract ◽

Origanum Vulgare ◽

Specific Chemical

Abstract Origanum vulgare L. var. aureum is an aromatic medicinal plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family, rich in essential oils and antioxidants. Its specific chemical composition represents an important source of biologically active principles with diverse applications in food products and nutraceuticals. The aim of this study was to determine the differences between chemical composition of volatile oils, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of different plants parts: leaves, flowers, and stems. Essential oils from leaves and flowers had similar compositions with only few differences between γ-terpinene and trans-ß-ocimene. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were determined for the hydro-alcoholic extract obtained from post-distillation oregano waste material. The total phenolic content was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and varied from 3173 to 6522 mg GAE/L. The major compounds identified by HPLC were syringic acid, pyrocatechol, and catechin. Furthermore, all extracts showed high antioxidant activity, ranging from 31.3 to 44.5 mg GAE/L, with an inhibition percent varying from 63.1 to 88.6%.

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Chemical Variability and Biological Activities of Eucalyptus spp. Essential Oils

10.20944/preprints201610.0009.v1 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Luiz Claudio Almeida Barbosa ◽

Claudinei Andrade Filomeno ◽

Robson Ricardo Teixeira

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Volatile Compounds ◽

Plant Species ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Eucalyptus Species ◽

Organoleptic Properties ◽

Food Preservatives ◽

Commercial Use

Several plant species produce mixtures of odorous and volatile compounds known as essential oils (EOs). These mixtures play important roles in nature and have been utilized by man for pharmaceutical and agrochemical purposes. There are more than 3000 EOs reported in the literature with approximately 300 having commercial use, including the oils from Eucalyptus species. Such oils are rich in monoterpenes and have found applications as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, food flavorants and in the perfume industry. Such applications are related to their diverse biological and organoleptic properties. In view of their importance, we review in this article up to date information concerning chemical composition and biological activities of essential oils from different species of Eucalyptus. Among the 900 species and subspecies of the Eucalyptus genus¸ we examined 68 species. The studies associated with these species were conducted in 27 countries. We have focused on the antimicrobial, acaricide, insecticide and herbicide activities, hoping that such information will contribute in the advances of the research in this field. It is also intended that the information herein described can be useful in the rationalization of the use of Eucalyptus EOs as components for new pharmaceutical and agrochemical applications as well as food preservatives and flavorants.

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Chemical and Biochemical Characterization of Essential Oils and Their Corresponding Hydrolats from Six Species of the Lamiaceae Family

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10112489 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 2489

Author(s):

Cristina Laura Popa ◽

Andreea Lupitu ◽

Maria Daniela Mot ◽

Lucian Copolovici ◽

Cristian Moisa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Total Phenolic Content ◽

Biochemical Characterization ◽

Phenolic Content ◽

Total Phenolic ◽

Thymus Vulgaris ◽

Origanum Vulgare ◽

Lavandula Angustifolia ◽

Food And Beverage

Many plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family are rich in essential oils (EOs) which are intensively used for aromatherapy, food and beverage flavoring, alternative medicine, cosmetics, and perfumery. Aerial parts of Thymus vulgaris L., Thymus pannonicus All., Lavandula angustifolia L., Lavandula x intermedia, Origanum vulgare L., and Origanum vulgare var. aureum L. were subjected to hydrodistillation, and both resulting fractions were analyzed. The purpose of this study was to determine the chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content of six essential oils and their corresponding hydrolats (HDs) through GC-MS and spectrophotometric analyses. Overall, 161 compounds were identified, some found exclusively in essential oils and others in hydrolats, making them individual products with specific end purposes. The total phenolic content was the highest for the Thymus vulgaris L. EOs (3022 ± mg GAE L−1), because of its high phenolic oxygenated monoterpenes content (thymol and carvacrol) and the smallest for the Lavandula angustifolia L. EOs (258.31 ± 44.29 mg GAE L−1), while hydrolats varied from 183.85 ± 0.22 mg GAE L−1 for Thymus vulgaris L. HD and 7.73 mg GAE L−1 for Thymus pannonicus All. HD. Significant antioxidant effects determined through DPPH• and ABTS•+ assays were also observed in samples with higher hydrophilic compounds. The highest antioxidant activity was determined for Thymus vulgaris L. EO and its corresponding HD. Although EOs are the principal traded economic product, HDs represent a valuable by-product that could still present intense antiseptic activities, similar to their corresponding EOs (thyme and oregano), or have multiple aromatherapy, cosmetics, and household applications (lavender and lavandin).

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Recent Nano-based Therapeutic Intervention of Bioactive Sesquiterpenes: Prospects in Cancer Therapeutics

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612826666200116151522 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (11) ◽

pp. 1138-1144 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Mohammad A. Ansari ◽

Khan F. Badrealam ◽

Asrar Alam ◽

Saba Tufail ◽

Gulshan Khalique ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physicochemical Properties ◽

Essential Oils ◽

Plant Species ◽

Bioactive Compounds ◽

Therapeutic Intervention ◽

Cancer Therapeutics ◽

Therapeutic Interventions ◽

Pharmacological Intervention ◽

Clinical Applicability ◽

Near Future

: In the recent scenario, nanotechnology-based therapeutics intervention has gained tremendous impetus all across the globe. Nano-based pharmacological intervention of various bioactive compounds has been explored on an increasing scale. Sesquiterpenes are major constituents of essential oils (EOs) present in various plant species which possess intriguing therapeutic potentials. However, owing to their poor physicochemical properties; they have pharmacological limitations. Recent advances in nano-based therapeutic interventions offer various avenues to improve their therapeutic applicability. Reckoning with these, the present review collates various nano-based therapeutic intervention of sesquiterpenes with prospective potential against various debilitating diseases especially cancer. In our viewpoint, considering the burgeoning advancement in the field of nanomedicine; in the near future, the clinical applicability of these nano-formulated sesquiterpenes can be foreseen with great enthusiasm.

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