scholarly journals Terpenes in Essential Oils: Bioactivity and Applications

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paco Noriega
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Complex Molecules ◽  
Food Industries ◽  
Simple Molecule

Secondary metabolites from plant organisms have always been excellent options for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. Essential oils are a type of metabolites found in vegetables, and their chemical composition is diverse; however, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes are inside the most abundant molecules. These terpenes have a diverse chemical composition that range from a simple molecule with carbon and hydrogen to more complex molecules with oxygenated organic groups, such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and ethers. Many of these molecules with 10 and 15 carbon atoms have an especially important biological activity, being important the antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, insecticide, analgesic, anticancer, cytotoxic, among others. Some of these substances are potentially toxic, and hence, they should be handled with caution, especially when they are pure. They are easily obtained by different methods, and their industrial value grows every year, with a market of several million dollars. This chapter seeks to provide a better understanding of this type of bioactive molecules, with an emphasis in those whose information is remarkable in the scientific literature and whose value for health and human well-being makes them extremely important.

scholarly journals Pharmacology and Phytochemistry of Ecuadorian Medicinal Plants: An Update and Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 1145
Author(s):  
Chabaco Armijos ◽  
Jorge Ramírez ◽  
Melissa Salinas ◽  
Giovanni Vidari ◽  
Alírica I. Suárez
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Volatile Compounds ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Therapeutic Agents ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Pharmacological Studies

The use of plants as therapeutic agents is part of the traditional medicine that is practiced by many indigenous communities in Ecuador. The aim of this study was to update a review published in 2016 by including the studies that were carried out in the period 2016–July 2021 on about 120 Ecuadorian medicinal plants. Relevant data on raw extracts and isolated secondary metabolites were retrieved from different databases, resulting in 104 references. They included phytochemical and pharmacological studies on several non-volatile compounds, as well as the chemical composition of essential oils (EOs). The tested biological activities are also reported. The potential of Ecuadorian plants as sources of products for practical applications in different fields, as well the perspectives of future investigations, are discussed in the last part of the review.

scholarly journals Monoterpenes and Their Derivatives—Recent Development in Biological and Medical Applications

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 7078
Author(s):  
Mariola Zielińska-Błajet ◽  
Joanna Feder-Kubis
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Structural Modification ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Plant Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Pivotal Role ◽  
Medical Applications ◽  
Biological And Medical Applications

Monoterpenes, comprising hydrocarbons, are the largest class of plant secondary metabolites and are commonly found in essential oils. Monoterpenes and their derivatives are key ingredients in the design and production of new biologically active compounds. This review focuses on selected aliphatic, monocyclic, and bicyclic monoterpenes like geraniol, thymol, myrtenal, pinene, camphor, borneol, and their modified structures. The compounds in question play a pivotal role in biological and medical applications. The review also discusses anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticonvulsant, analgesic, antiviral, anticancer, antituberculosis, and antioxidant biological activities exhibited by monoterpenes and their derivatives. Particular attention is paid to the link between biological activity and the effect of structural modification of monoterpenes and monoterpenoids, as well as the introduction of various functionalized moieties into the molecules in question.

scholarly journals Investigation on air quality of specific indoor environments—spa salons located in Gdynia, Poland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaudia Pytel ◽  
Renata Marcinkowska ◽  
Bożena Zabiegała
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Elevated Concentration ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Flame Ionization ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Air Chemistry ◽  
Total Volatile Organic Compounds

Abstract Due to excessive application of essential oils and scented products in spa salons during aromatherapy and massage sessions, the elevated concentration of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), particularly terpenes, which are known as secondary organic aerosol (SOA) precursors, is expected there. This study was aimed at determination of VOCs with a particular regard to terpenes in air samples collected in selected spa salons located in Northern Poland. Active air sampling was conducted before and after treatments. Samples were analyzed with the use of thermal desorption gas chromatography coupled with flame-ionization detector (TD-GC-FID) and mass spectrometer (TD-GC-MS). Obtained results allowed to characterize chemical composition of indoor air of spa salons and also to relate the dependence between applied essential oil and indoor air chemical composition. It has been proved that (i) spa salons are characterized by TVOC concentrations exceeding recommended values of 300–400 μg m−3 in most of examined cases, reaching up to several thousand of micrograms per cubic meter, (ii) TVOC concentration is strictly related to salon characteristics and carried out treatments, (iii) terpenes constitute a significant part of TVOCs present in spa indoor air, from 22 up to 86%, (iv) most commonly investigated terpenes in the literature (d-limonene, α-pinene, camphene, and linalool) were also determined at the highest concentration levels in this study and (v) VOC chemical composition is strictly dependent on the type of applied essential oils. On the basis of obtained results, it may be stated that extensive application of essential oils rich in terpenes can significantly alter indoor air chemistry of spa salons, thereby influencing health and well-being of employees working there.

scholarly journals Euphorbia-Derived Natural Products with Potential for Use in Health Maintenance

Biomolecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salehi ◽  
Iriti ◽  
Vitalini ◽  
Antolak ◽  
Pawlikowska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Health Maintenance ◽  
The Third ◽  
The World ◽  
Microbial Infections ◽  
Pure Compounds

Euphorbia genus (Euphorbiaceae family), which is the third largest genus of angiosperm plants comprising ca. 2000 recognized species, is used all over the world in traditional medicine, especially in the traditional Chinese medicine. Members of this taxa are promptly recognizable by their specialized inflorescences and latex. In this review, an overview of Euphorbia-derived natural products such as essential oils, extracts, and pure compounds, active in a broad range of biological activities, and with potential usages in health maintenance, is described. The chemical composition of essential oils from Euphorbia species revealed the presence of more than 80 phytochemicals, mainly oxygenated sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons, while Euphorbia extracts contain secondary metabolites such as sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, sterols, flavonoids, and other polyphenols. The extracts and secondary metabolites from Euphorbia plants may act as active principles of medicines for the treatment of many human ailments, mainly inflammation, cancer, and microbial infections. Besides, Euphorbia-derived products have great potential as a source of bioactive extracts and pure compounds, which can be used to promote longevity with more health.

Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Essential Oils from Different Species of Piper from Panama

Planta Medica ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 986-991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Santana ◽  
Roser Vila ◽  
Salvador Cañigueral ◽  
Mahabir Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Essential Oils

Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Essential Oils of Centella asiatica (L.)

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeedeh Ghadiri Sardrood ◽  
Sara Saadatmand ◽  
Mohammad Hassan Assareh ◽  
Taher Nejad Satan
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Centella Asiatica

scholarly journals Characterization of the Volatile Components of Essential Oils of Selected Plants in Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Lydia G. Mugao ◽  
Bernard M. Gichimu ◽  
Phyllis W. Muturi ◽  
Simon T. Mukono
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Antimicrobial Activities ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Volatile Components ◽  
Food Industries ◽  
Extraction And Purification ◽  
Major Chemical ◽  
Scanty Information ◽  
Test Plants

Essential oils are secondary metabolites that plants produce for protection from pests and predators, attraction of pollinators, and seed dispersal. The oils are made up of a mixture of compounds that give a characteristic flavour and odour. Currently, essential oils are receiving great attention in research for their phytochemical and antimicrobial activities. However, there is scanty information on the chemical composition of many plants. This study provides a detailed analysis of the chemical composition of essential oils of ginger, garlic, tick berry, and Mexican marigold in Kenya. The essential oils were extracted by steam distillation and analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The study identified a total of 52 different chemical classes from the essential oils of the four different plants that were analysed. Their percentage composition was also found to vary between the test plants. The essential oils of Mexican marigold constituted the highest composition of the identified chemical classes at 71.2%, followed by ginger at 55.8%, while both tick berry and garlic oils constituted 53.8% of the total classes identified. Terpenes constituted the highest composition in the essential oils of all the four test plants. Other major chemical classes included esters, ketones, organosulfurs, alkanes, cycloalkanes, steroids, aromatic hydrocarbons, and alkanols. Some of these chemical compounds have been shown to have a huge utility potential in biopesticides, pharmaceutical, and food industries, and hence, their industrial extraction and purification from the essential oils of these plants are recommended.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document