caryophyllene and beta-thujone

As a peculiar folk medicinal plant, Acanthopanax brachypus was widely used to treat various diseases in China. At present, however, there is not a good quality standard for its quality evaluation. In this study, on the basis of the validation tests of precision, stability and repeatability, the chromatographic fingerprint of A. brachypus was established by using gas chromatography (GC)-flame ionization detector (FID) and GC-MS techniques, as well as computer aided similarity evaluation system. Thirty-two different batches of samples collected from the different producing regions and the different parts of A. brachypus were studied. The results showed that the dominant constituents of all oils were monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, as well as oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The fingerprinting profiles were found to be consistent for the fresh stem bark acquired from various production areas, 48 common peaks were determined, but the relative abundance of peaks was varied. β-Pinene, linalool, p-cymene, spathulenol, camphene, endo-borneol, verbenone, β-caryophyllene, γ-terpinene, germacrene-D, camphor, β-thujone and β-cadinene were the main constituents of the fresh stem bark oil. Except for the leaf, the chemical components among different medicinal parts of fresh plant were inconsistent with the stem bark. Besides, the varieties and relative levels of chemical components in the fresh stem bark were more abundant than in the dry counterpart. The GC-MS fingerprint can be successfully applied to distinguish the substitute or adulterant, and further assess the differences of A. brachypus grown in various areas of China.

Topics: Acyclic Monoterpenes; Bicyclic Monoterpenes; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds; Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; Cymenes; Eleutherococcus; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Monoterpenes; Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; Sesquiterpenes; Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane; Terpenes

Salvia officinalis (Common sage, Culinary sage) is an aromatic plant that is frequently used as a spice in Mediterranean cookery and in the food industry and as a traditional medicine for the treatment of several infectious diseases. The essential oils were obtained by two different methods [hydrodistillation (HD) and microwave (Mw)] from the aerial part of S. officinalis L. growing wild in Ourika-Marrakech in Morocco. Ourika is a large zone of the Atlas Mountains which is considered as a large reserve of Flora, especially medicinal and aromatic plants. The obtained oils were analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and compared with that of Tunisia. Thirty-six compounds were identified from the Mw-extracted oil which accounted for 97.32% of the total oil composition. However, 33 compounds obtained by HD representing 98.67%. The major components were trans-thujone (14.10% and 29.84%), 1,8-cineole (5.10% and 16.82%), camphor (4.99% and 9.14%), viridiflorol (16.42% and 9.92%), β-caryophyllene (19.83% and 5.20%) and α-humulene (13.54% and 4.02%). Antibacterial, allelopathic (% germination in lettuce seeds and inhibited root growth obtained after treatment with S. officinalis oils) and antioxidant (IC₅₀ values 22 mg/mL) activities were studied.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antioxidants; Bicyclic Monoterpenes; Camphor; Cyclohexanols; Eucalyptol; Germination; Monoterpenes; Morocco; Oils, Volatile; Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; Salvia officinalis; Sesquiterpenes; Terpenes

Mosquitoes are important vectors of diseases to humans and domestic animals. Chemical control of vectors remains a main resource for the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases. Due to the development of insecticide resistance and risks to human health and the environment of synthetic compounds, the search for alternative pesticides is encouraged. This work assessed the insecticidal activity of essential oils (EOs) from Lippia turbinata and L. polystachya from Argentina on Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. EOs were extracted by hydro-distillation and analyzed with gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The insecticidal activity against mosquito larvae, pupae, and adults were evaluated according to World Health Organization protocols. Concentrations ranking from 10 to 160 ppm were assessed at 1, 2, 3, and 24 h posttreatment. The composition of the EO of L. polystachya and L. turbinata were qualitatively similar, with alpha-thujone and carvone as main constituent; differences were mostly due to the proportion of each component. beta-caryophyllene was also an important constituent of the EO of L. turbinata. Both EO were larvicidal at concentrations of 80 ppm or higher, but only L. turbinata was adulticidal. No pupal mortality was detected. The potential of these EOs for vector control is discussed.

Topics: Animals; Bicyclic Monoterpenes; Culex; Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; Drug Evaluation; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Insecticides; Larva; Lippia; Monoterpenes; Oils, Volatile; Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; Pupa; Sesquiterpenes; Survival Analysis

The volatile metabolites of Salvia fruticosa plants, growing wild in 15 localities scattered across Greece, were analyzed by means of GC and GC-MS. The essential oil content ranged from 0.69 to 4.68%, and the results of the analyses showed a noticeable variation in the amounts of the five main components [1,8-cineole, alpha-thujone, beta-thujone, camphor, and (E)-caryophyllene]. The antifungal activities of the essential oils from two localities, belonging in two different groups of cluster and principal component analysis, and their main components (1,8-cineole and camphor) were evaluated in vitro against five phytopathogenic fungi. Both oils were slightly effective against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi and Fusarium proliferatum, whereas against Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Fusarium solani f. sp. cucurbitae the oils exhibited high antifungal activities.

Topics: Bicyclic Monoterpenes; Camphor; Cyclohexanols; Eucalyptol; Fungi; Fungicides, Industrial; Monoterpenes; Oils, Volatile; Plant Oils; Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; Salvia; Sesquiterpenes; Soil Microbiology; Terpenes