1-1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and nepetalactone

Essential oils from air-dried leaves and verticillasters of Nepeta nuda ssp. nuda from Greece were analyzed by means of gas chromatography-flame ionization detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The dominant constituent in the verticillaster oils was 4aα,7α,7aß-nepetalactone (75.7%). The main metabolites of the leaf oil were 1,8-cineole (16.7%), 4aα,7α,7aß-nepetalactone (24.7%), and caryophyllene oxide (16.3%). The oils were examined for their antioxidant activity. Neutralization of stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical ranged from 10.83% (2.50 μg/mL) to 58.64% (50.00 μg/mL) for verticillaster oil and from 6.25% (2.50 μg/mL) to 57.79% (50.00 μg/mL) for leaf oil. The essential oil from verticillasters had significant effects on lipid peroxidation (in the range of 41.18-59.23%), compared to tert-butylated hydroxytoluene (37.04%). In contrast, the essential oil from leaves exhibited pro-oxidant activity at the highest concentration applied.

Topics: Antioxidants; Biphenyl Compounds; Butylated Hydroxytoluene; Chromatography, Gas; Cyclopentane Monoterpenes; Cyclopentanes; Flowers; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Greece; Lipid Peroxidation; Nepeta; Oils, Volatile; Picrates; Plant Leaves; Pyrones

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is an important medicinal herb belonging to the mint family, Lamiaceae. In this study, the in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the essential oil and methanol extract from Nepeta cataria, and its essential oil composition were investigated. The essential oil, which has 4aalpha,7alpha,7abeta-nepetalactone (70.4%), 4aalpha,7alpha,7abeta-nepetalactone (6.0%), thymol (2.3%), and 4aalpha,7alpha, 7abeta3-nepetalactone (2.5%), as main components, exhibited activity against eleven bacteria, and twelve fungi and a yeast, C. albicans; with Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) values ranging from 12.50 to 250 microl/ml; the methanol extract showed weaker activity. The samples were also subjected to a screening for their possible antioxidant activities by using 2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and beta-carotene/linoleic acid assays. In DPPH assay, the extract showed slight antioxidant activity whereas the essential oil remained inactive. In the latter case, both the extract and the essential oil exerted weak activity having inhibiton ratios of linoleic acid oxidation at 16.4% and 27.0%, respectively. The weak antioxidative nature of the extract could be attributed to the low phenolic content, estimated as gallic acid equivalent at 22.6 +/- 2.07 microg/ml or 2.26%. In both systems, antioxidant capacity of BHT was determined in parallel experiments.

Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Antioxidants; Bacteria; Biphenyl Compounds; Cyclopentane Monoterpenes; Cyclopentanes; Fungi; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Linoleic Acid; Methanol; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Nepeta; Picrates; Plant Extracts; Plant Oils; Pyrones