COMPOSITION OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE SUBSTANCES AND ANTIRADICAL ACTIVITY OF EXTRACTS FROM FIVE SPECIES OF PLANTS OF THE ASPARAGACEAE FAMILY

Many members of the Asparagaceae family are used in traditional medicine in different countries and characterized by a high content of biologically active metabolites. In this work, the qualitative composition and quantitative content of the components of methanol extracts from leaves and underground organs of Sansevieria cylindrica Bojer ex Hook, Sansevieria trifasciata Prain, Polianthes tuberosa L., leaves of Yucca filamentosa L. and Furcraea gigantea var. watsoniana (Hort. Sander) Drumm. were determined. Extraction of plant leaves and underground organs using 80% methanol resulted in 5.2–16.7% and 16–25.1% of the total extractive substances consequently. The presence of steroidal saponins in the extracts was shown by thin layer chromatography. Spirostanol saponins were predominate in the extracts from leaves of Y. filamentosa, F. gigantea and underground organs of S. cylindrica, S. trifasciata, P. tuberosa, furastanol saponins – in the extracts from leaves of S. cylindrica and S. trifasciata. The content of terpenoid and phenolic compounds in the extracts established using spectrophotometry significantly differs depending on the plant species and their anatomical part. All the extracts tested exhibited inhibition of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical in dose-dependent manner. The highest antiradical activity demonstrated the extract from the leaves of Y. filamentosa (IC50 = 25.95 μg/ml) containing the largest amount of phenolic compounds, including flavonoids – 51.3 and 15.5% of the total extractive substances.

Extractive Content and Colour Properties of 11-Year-Old Superior Teak Wood

There is a lack of understanding about the properties of fast-growing teak trees harvested in young stage. Superior teak woods (11 years, 5 trees) grown in Pemalang FMU were assessed in vertical and radial positions for its extractive contents and colour properties. Extractions were conducted using a sequence of toluene, ethanol, and hot water. The color evaluation was performed using CIEL*a*b*’s chromaticity system. Toluene-, ethanol-, hot-water-, and total extractive contents ranged between 1.16~5.00%; 0.29~1,04%, and 0.98~2.35%, and 4.03~7.31%, respectively. For color properties, the brightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*) indices ranged from 49.50~57.42, 6.08~10.81, and 20.47~25.74, espectively.Toluene- and total extractive contents were greater in heartwood than in sapwood, while the reverse occurred for the hot-water extractive content. Toluene- and total extractive contents were higher in outer heartwood than in inner heartwood. With regard to colour properties, L* and a* values were significantly differed between sapwood and heartwood. Vertical stem analysis of samples obtained at bottom, center, and top showed the toluene extractive content, total extractive content, and a* levels of center part of the tree were found to be lower than other parts. The L* were negatively correlated with extractive contents, with the highest correlation degree (-0.83**) being observed in the total extractive content in the heartwood. It is also noticed that superior teak wood wood was less darker and extractive contents than the heartwood control of a 72-year-old tree. Therefore, the properties measured in the present work might be related with natural durability of the woods.

Identification of Three Dalbergia Species Based on Differences in Extractive Components

Dalbergia cultrate, Dalbergia latifolia, and Dalbergia melanoxylon are precious and valuable traded timber species of the genus Dalbergia. For chemotaxonomical discrimination between these easily confused species, the total extractive content of the three wood species was determined using four different organic solvents. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to analyze functional group differences in the extractive components, inferring the types of principal chemical components according to characteristic peak positions, intensities, and shapes. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was carried out a detailed characterization of the extractive components. The relative content of individual chemical components was determined by area normalization. Results revealed differences in the chemical components and total and individual extract contents of the three Dalbergia species, indicating that FTIR and GC-MS spectroscopy can be applied to identify and discriminate between Dalbergia cultrate, Dalbergia latifolia, and Dalbergia melanoxylon.

The effect of the operation conditions and the extraction techniques on the yield, kinetics and composition of methanol extracts of Hieracium pilosella L.

The optimal operational extraction conditions were determined by investigating the influence of the methanol concentration, solvomodule and temperature of the maceration extraction on the yield and kinetics of total extractive matter, chlorogenic acid, umbelliferone and apigenin-7-O-glucoside from Hieracium pilosella L. Based on the results of Soxhlet and Tillepape extraction kinetics investigations of the total extractive matter and the components under the optimal maceration operation conditions it was found that the highest yields of the extractive matter and investigated bioactive components extracted from the dry plant material were obtained by using the Soxhlet extraction method. The contents of chlorogenic acid, umbelliferone and apigenin-7-O-glucoside in the extracts were determined by HPLC method. Chlorogenic acid is the component with the highest share in all the extracts.

Fungal Degradation of Lipophilic Extractives in Eucalyptus globulus Wood

ABSTRACT Solid-state fermentation of eucalypt wood with several fungal strains was investigated as a possible biological pretreatment for decreasing the content of compounds responsible for pitch deposition during Cl2-free manufacture of paper pulp. First, different pitch deposits were characterized by gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry (MS). The chemical species identified arose from lipophilic wood extractives that survived the pulping and bleaching processes. Second, a detailed GC-MS analysis of the lipophilic fraction after fungal treatment of wood was carried out, and different degradation patterns were observed. The results showed that some basidiomycetes that decreased the lipophilic fraction also released significant amounts of polar extractives, which were identified by thermochemolysis as originating from lignin depolymerization. Therefore, the abilities of fungi to control pitch should be evaluated after analysis of compounds involved in deposit formation and not simply by estimating the decrease in the total extractive content. In this way, Phlebia radiata,Funalia trogii, Bjerkandera adusta, andPoria subvermispora strains were identified as the most promising organisms for pitch biocontrol, since they degraded 75 to 100% of both free and esterified sterols, as well as other lipophilic components of the eucalypt wood extractives. Ophiostoma piliferum, a fungus used commercially for pitch control, hydrolyzed the sterol esters and triglycerides, but it did not appear to be suitable for eucalypt wood treatment because it increased the content of free sitosterol, a major compound in pitch deposits.