PHYSICO-CHEMICAL BASES OF THE USE OF DIELECTRIC SEPARATION TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PROCESSING OF SEEDS OF SPICY-AROMATIC PLANTS

Исследованы биологические особенности (морфология поверхности, а также качественный и количественный состав белков) семян (плодов) пряно-ароматических растений: кориандра (Coriandrum sativumL.), тмина (Carum carvi L.) и укропа (Anethum graveolens L.). Методами сканирующей электронной микроскопии установлена нерегулярная поверхность семян кориандра, тмина и укропа. На их поверхности идентифицировано большое количество бороздок, углублений, бугорков. Поверхность шероховатая и содержит много волосков. Особенно много волосков имеется на поверхности семян тмина. Определено, что в 100 г семян кориандра, тмина и укропа содержится: общего белка – 12,37; 19,77 и 15,98 г соответственно, свободных аминокислот – 1,42; 18,46 и 8,39 г соответственно. Сумма положительно заряженных незаменимых аминокислот (аргинина, гистидина и лизина) в 100 г кориандра, тмина и укропа составляет соответственно 0,149; 2,833 и 2,621 г, сумма отрицательно заряженных аминокислот (аспарагиновой и глутаминовой) – 0,71; 5,253 и 0,633 г соответственно. Результаты исследований будут способствовать совершенствованию технологии глубокой переработки растительного сырья для получения семян высокого качества с заданными свойствами путем отделения примесей органической и неорганической природы. The biological features (surface morphology, as well as the qualitative and quantitative composition of proteins) of seeds of spicy-aromatic plants: coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), cumin (Carum carvi L.) and dill (Anethum graveolens L.) were studied. The irregular surface of coriander, cumin and dill seeds was established by scanning electron microscopy. A large number of grooves, depressions, and bumps have been identified on their surface. The surface is rough and contains a lot of hairs. There are especially many hairs on the surface of cumin seeds. It was determined that 100 g of coriander, cumin and dill seeds contain: total protein – 12,37; 19,77 and 15,98 g respectively, free amino acids – 1,42; 18,46 and 8,39 g respectively. The sum of positively charged essential amino acids (arginine, histidine and lysine) in 100 g of coriander, cumin and dill is 0,149, 2,833 and 2,621 g respectively, the sum of negatively charged amino acids (aspartic and glutamic) is 0,71; 5,253 and 0,633 g respectively. The results of the research will contribute to the improvement of the technology of deep processing of plant raw materials to obtain high-quality seeds with desired properties by separating impurities of organic and inorganic nature.

Characterization, Biological Activity, and Mechanism of Action of a Plant-Based Novel Antifungal Peptide, Cc-AFP1, Isolated From Carum carvi

Due to the increasing rate of invasive fungal infections and emerging antifungal resistance, development of novel antifungal drugs has been an urgent necessity. Antifungal peptides (AFPs) have recently attracted attention due to their unique ability to evade drug-resistant fungal pathogens. In this study, a novel AFP, Cc-AFP1, with a molecular weight of ~3.759 kDa, was isolated from Carum carvi L., purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and reversed-phase HPLC and finally identified by sequence analysis using Edman degradation. Peptide sequence analysis revealed a fragment of 36 amino acid residues as RVCFRPVAPYLGVGVSGAVRDQIGVKLGSVYKGPRG for Cc-AFP1 with a net charge of +5 and a hydrophobicity ratio of 38%. The antifungal activity of Cc-AFP1 was confirmed against Aspergillus species with MIC values in the range of 8–16 µg/ml. Cc-AFP1 had less than 5% hemolytic activity at 8–16 µg/ml on human red blood cells with no obvious cytotoxicity against the HEK293 cell line. Stability analysis showed that the activity of Cc-AFP1 was maintained at different temperatures (20°C to 80°C) and pH (8 to 10). The results of a propidium iodide uptake and transmission electron microscopy showed that the antifungal activity of Cc-AFP1 could be attributed to alteration in the fungal cell membrane permeability. Taken together, these results indicate that Cc-AFP1 may be an attractive molecule to develop as a novel antifungal agent combating fungal infections cause by Aspergillus species.

Phytochemical characterization of Caraway (Carum carvi) seed extract and its use as a potent medicinal agent

Carum carvi (Caraway) is a member of Apiaceae family which originated in Asia. Due to its economic importance, it is widely cultivated. Caraway is the only annual species, commonly present in arable land, moist meadows and on low lands to mountains. Caraway has different applications in pharmaceutical and food industries. Phytochemical screening of different medicinal plants is helpful in identifying new sources of industrially and therapeutically important compounds. In this study, Caraway obtained from forest surrounding the village Goherman, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh (India) was used. Seed extract of caraway extracted in methanol (MSE) and distilled water (WSE) was used for phytochemical analysis to determine the constituents of caraway seeds. Further, caraway seeds extract was checked for antibacterial activity [Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Salmonella typhimurium (NCTC 74), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC 12228)], antioxidant activity and acid neutralizing activity. After analysing the results, it can be said that caraway seeds possess many medicinal properties and it can be used in enhancing human health.

On heterosis, inbreeding depression and general combining ability in annual caraway (Carum carvi)

Caraway (Carum carvi) is a medicinal and aromatic plant of the Apiaceae family with a long history of cultivation. To this day, improvements in yield and essential oil content are desirable. In the past, line breeding was used to increase essential oil content with the final intention of combining inbred lines to a synthetic variety by outcrossing. Outcrossing should overcome inbreeding depression and exploit heterosis vice versa. In this study, we wanted to detect whether and to what extent heterosis can be exploited in caraway. In a randomized complete block design with two years of growing and four repetitions per year and genotype, we compared 18 inbred lines with 18 corresponding F1 populations produced in a polycross. In addition to yield, we estimated the beginning of flowering, the end of flowering, maturity, height, thousand-grain weight, stalk attachment rate, shattering rate and essential oil content. Linear mixed models were used to compute variance components, heritability and best linear unbiased estimates. As major result, we detected the existence of better parent heterosis in caraway. To summarize, outcrossing led to a significant increase in yield, thousand-grain weight and height and to an earlier beginning of flowering, end of flowering and maturity. In two-year data, no effect of outcrossing on the essential oil content was observed, but single year data revealed slight effects. We found strong negative correlations between developmental traits and yield. Hence, selection of early developing genotypes seems highly recommendable. Results make us confident that improved annual varieties can be introduced soon.

Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Anti-Acetylcholinesterase, Antidiabetic, and Pharmacokinetic Properties of Carum carvi L. and Coriandrum sativum L. Essential Oils Alone and in Combination

Herbs and spices have been used since antiquity for their nutritional and health properties, as well as in traditional remedies for the prevention and treatment of many diseases. Therefore, this study aims to perform a chemical analysis of both essential oils (EOs) from the seeds of Carum carvi (C. carvi) and Coriandrum sativum (C. sativum) and evaluate their antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-acetylcholinesterase, and antidiabetic activities alone and in combination. Results showed that the EOs mainly constitute monoterpenes with γ-terpinene (31.03%), β-pinene (18.77%), p-cymene (17.16%), and carvone (12.20%) being the major components present in C. carvi EO and linalool (76.41%), γ-terpinene (5.35%), and α-pinene (4.44%) in C. sativum EO. In comparison to standards, statistical analysis revealed that C. carvi EO showed high and significantly different (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity than C. sativum EO, but lower than the mixture. Moreover, the mixture exhibited two-times greater ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (IC50 = 11.33 ± 1.53 mg/mL) and equipotent chelating power (IC50 = 31.33 ± 0.47 mg/mL) than the corresponding references, and also potent activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (IC50 = 19.00 ± 1.00 mg/mL), β-carotene (IC50 = 11.16 ± 0.84 mg/mL), and superoxide anion (IC50 = 10.33 ± 0.58 mg/mL) assays. Antimicrobial data revealed that single and mixture EOs were active against a panel of pathogenic microorganisms, and the mixture had the ability to kill more bacterial strains than each EO alone. Additionally, the anti-acetylcholinesterase and α-glucosidase inhibitory effect have been studied for the first time, highlighting the high inhibition effect of AChE by C. carvi (IC50 = 0.82 ± 0.05 mg/mL), and especially by C. sativum (IC50 = 0.68 ± 0.03 mg/mL), as well as the mixture (IC50 = 0.63 ± 0.02 mg/mL) compared to the reference drug, which are insignificantly different (p > 0.05). A high and equipotent antidiabetic activity was observed for the mixture (IC50 = 0.75 ± 0.15 mg/mL) when compared to the standard drug, acarbose, which is about nine times higher than each EO alone. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic analysis provides some useful insights into designing new drugs with favorable drug likeness and safety profiles based on a C. carvi and C. sativum EO mixture. In summary, the results of this study revealed that the combination of these EOs may be recommended for further food, therapeutic, and pharmaceutical applications, and can be utilized as medicine to inhibit several diseases.

Comparative characteristics of fruit tinctures of some representatives of the family Apiaceae

The family Apiaceae includes 474 genera and 3992–4050 species that are distributed around the globe. Of all the variety of species, our attention was drawn to the raw material of anise – Anisum vulgare Gaertrn.; fennel – Foeniculum vulgare Mill., which contains derivatives of phenylpropane; coriander – Coriandrum sativum L.; dill – Anethum graveolens L.; caraway – Carum carvi L., which is rich in monoterpenoid derivatives. These plants are widely used in medical practice and known to have antimicrobial, antispasmodic, expectorant, antihypertensive, diuretic, choleretic, carminative effects. This versatility is due to the presence of different groups of biologically active substances in the raw materials of plants. The aim of the research is to determine, by means of gas chromatography, a component composition of fruit tinctures of Anisum vulgare Gaertrn., Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Coriandrum sativum L. Anethum graveolens L. and Carum carvi L. Materials and methods. Tinctures were prepared in ratio 1:5 (extractant – 70 % ethyl alcohol) from anise, fennel, coriander, dill, and caraway fruits, which had been harvested in the experimental field of Zaporizhzhia State Medical University in August 2019. Qualitative and quantitative determination of the active compounds was performed using an Agilent 7890B gas chromatograph with a 5977B mass spectrometric detector. The NIST14 mass spectrum library was used to identify the components. Results. It has been revealed that the tinctures of Anisum vulgare Gaertrn., Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Coriandrum sativum L. Anethum graveolens L., and Carum carvi L. differ in qualitative and quantitative composition of components of chromato-mass spectrometry. Tinctures of Anethum fructus contain 28 components, among which 8.028 RT (-)-Carvone (52.63 %) and 4.861 RT D-Limonene (17.74 %) prevail. Tinctures of Coriandrum fructus contain 37 components with the highest content of 11,016 RT Benzene, 1-(1,5-dimethyl-4-hexenyl)-4-methyl (20.7 %) and 19.372 RT 1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)dec-4-en-3-one (8.57 %). In the tincture of Carum carvi L., which contains 33 components, the following may be considered predominant: 7.988 RT Benzaldehyde, 4-(1-methylethyl) (47.37 %) and 19,311 RT undetermined compound (5.88 %). The tincture of Anisum fructus has 22 components, with the highest content of 8.531 RT Estragole (60.32 %) and 4.852 RT D-Limonene (5.15 %); Foeniculum fructus tincture contains 52 components, among which 5.745 RT Fenchone (15.39 %) and 8.5 RT Anethole (11.37 %) prevail. Conclusions. The results of gas chromatography of fruits of the Apiaceae family significantly expand the information about the chemical composition of raw materials and indicate the prospects for use in pharmaceutical and medical practice. Analyzing the results of gas chromatography, it has been found that tinctures of fruits of the Apiaceae family differ in qualitative and quantitative composition of components. Tinctures of Foeniculum fructus contain 52 components, Coriandrum fructus – 37 components, Carum carvi L. contain 33 components, Anethum fructus – 28 components, Anisum fructus – 22 components. The obtained experimental data can be used to create regulatory documentation for a particular type of medicinal plant raw materials.