beta-bisabolene and alpha-pinene

Piper guineense Schum & Thonn (Piperaceae) is a medicinal plant used in the Southern States of Nigeria to treat fever, mental disorders and febrile convulsions.. This study aims at determining the chemical composition and the central nervous system (CNS) activities of the essential oil obtained from the plant׳s fresh fruits in order to rationalize its folkloric use.. Essential oil of P. guineense (EOPG) obtained by hydrodistillation was analysed by GC/MS. EOPG (50-200mg/kg, i.p.) was evaluated for behavioural, hypothermic, sedative, muscle relaxant, anti-psychotic and anticonvulsant activities using standard procedures.. Analysis of the oil reveals 44 compounds of which 30 compounds constituting 84.7% were identified. The oil was characterized by sesquiterpenoids (64.4%) while only four monoterpeneoids (21.3%) were found present in the oil. Major compounds identified were β-sesquiphellandrene (20.9%), linalool (6.1%), limonene (5.8%), Z-β-bisabolene (5.4%) and α-pinene (5.3%). The EOPG (50-200mg/kg, i.p.) caused significant (p<0.01) inhibition on rearing {F(4,20)=43}, locomotor {F(4,20)=22} activity and decreased head dips in hole board {F(4,20)=7} indicating CNS depressant effect; decreased rectal temperature {F(4,20)=7-16}, signifying hypothermic activity; decreased ketamine-induced sleep latency {F(4,20)=7.8} and prolonged total sleeping time {F(4,20)=8.8}, indicating sedative effect; reduced muscular tone on the hind-limb grip test {F(4,20)=22}, inclined board {F(4,20)=4-49} and rota rod {F(4,20)=13-106}, implying muscle relaxant activity; induced catalepsy {F(4,20)=47-136}, inhibited apomorphine-induced climbing behaviour {F(4,20)=9} and inhibited apomorphine-induced locomotor {F(4,20)=16}, suggesting anti-psychotic effect; and protected mice against pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsions, indicating anticonvulsant potential.. The most abundant component of the fresh fruits essential oil of P. guineense was β-sesquiphellandrene (20.9%); and the oil possesses CNS depressant, hypothermic, sedative, muscle relaxant, antipsychotic and anticonvulsant activities, thus providing scientific basis for its ethnomedicinal applications.

Topics: Acyclic Monoterpenes; Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Anticonvulsants; Bicyclic Monoterpenes; Body Temperature; Central Nervous System; Cyclohexenes; Ethnopharmacology; Female; Fruit; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Limonene; Male; Mice; Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes; Monoterpenes; Motor Activity; Oils, Volatile; Phytotherapy; Piper; Piperaceae; Plant Extracts; Sesquiterpenes; Sleep; Terpenes

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from the roots of Bidens tripartita L. by hydrodistillation was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In total, 106 compounds were identified (97.1% of the total oil). The main components of the oil were α-pinene (15.0%), β-bisabolene (9.3%), p-cymene (6.0%), hexanal (5.7%), linalool (4.6%), p-cymene-9-ol (3.4%), β-elemene (2.6%), 2-pentylfuran (2.2%), and silphiperfol-6-ene (2.1%). The antibacterial and antifungal properties of the essential oil were evaluated against eight Gram-positive and 11 Gram-negative bacterial species and 10 fungal strains. The oil exhibited a strong antifungal activity.

Topics: Acyclic Monoterpenes; Aldehydes; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antifungal Agents; Bicyclic Monoterpenes; Bidens; Cymenes; Fungi; Furans; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacteria; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes; Monoterpenes; Oils, Volatile; Plant Extracts; Plant Oils; Plant Roots; Sesquiterpenes

The essential oils and supercritical CO(2) extracts of wild Daucus carota L. subsp. carota growing spontaneously in Sardinia and in Portugal were investigated. The main components in the Sardinian essential oil of flowering and mature umbels with seeds are beta-bisabolene (17.6-51.0%) and 11-alpha-(H)-himachal-4-en-1-beta-ol (9.0-21.6%); instead, the oils from Portuguese samples are predominantly composed of geranyl acetate (5.2-65.0%) and alpha-pinene (3.5-37.9%). Supercritical extracts contain lower amounts of monoterpenes and higher amounts of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. Antifungal activities of the Sardinian oils were the highest, particularly for dermatophytes and Cryptococcus neoformans, with MIC values of 0.16-0.64 microL mL(-1).

Topics: Acetates; Acyclic Monoterpenes; Antifungal Agents; Bicyclic Monoterpenes; Daucus carota; Flowers; Fungi; Italy; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Monocyclic Sesquiterpenes; Monoterpenes; Oils, Volatile; Plant Extracts; Portugal; Seeds; Sesquiterpenes; Terpenes