Compositional characteristics of the essential oil ofMyrtus communisgrown in the central part of Saudi Arabia

Chemical Compositions, Molecular Docking, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anti-Cancer Effects of the Leaf Essential Oils Isolated from Three Species of the Rutaceae Family in Vietnam

Three species of the Rutaceae family, including Acronychia pedunculata, Euodia lepta, and Severinia monophylla have been used in traditional medicine. However, the comparison of the chemical composition, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory effects of the leaf essential oils of these species have not been investigated yet. A total of 38 compounds were identified via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, comprising 96.5-99.8 % of the total composition. Both A. pedunculata and E. lepta essential oils exhibited strong inhibitory effects against cancer cells (IC50: 59.04-97.52 μg/mL) while that of S. monophylla showed a lower anti-cancer effect (IC50>100 μg/mL). Among three essential oils, only the E. lepta leaf oil demonstrated a high anti-inflammatory effect on LPS-stimulated macrophages (IC50=6.47±0.65 μg/mL), while the others showed a moderate anti-inflammatory effect (IC50>50 μg/mL). Molecular docking studies also suggested the binding potential of the key compounds from three essential oils against inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, two proteins associated with inflammatory response, with the negative energies ranging from -41.0 to -71.9 kcal/mol. The present findings suggest the leaf essential oils from these species as potential medicines for treatment of cancer or inflammation associated diseases, especially the ones from A. pedunculata and E. lepta oils.

Chemical Composition and In Vitro Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Effects of Volatile Oils Hydrodistilled from Onobrychis carduchorum C.C. Towns., a Kurdish Traditional Plant

The volatile oils hydrodistilled from the aerial parts and roots of O. carduchorum C.C Towns. (Fabaceae) have been chemically characterized for the first time. A total of 43 constituents with an abundance >0.03% were identified and quantified in the two oils by GC/MS and GC/FID analyses. They comprise 38 components (98.58%) of the oil isolated from the aerial parts (OCA) and 34 components (93.33%) of the oil from the roots (OCR). Six constituents, α-pinene (23.11 ± 0.1%), β-elemene (17.33 ± 0.1%), 1,8-cineole (12.15 ± 0.2%), furfural (7.91 ± 0.1%), terpineol-4-ol (6.32 ± 0.2%), and limonene (4.13 ± 0.1%), accounted for about 75% of the total OCA oil. On the other hand, 1,8-cineole (15.79 ± 0.1%), furfural (10.44 ± 0.1%), β-elemene (10.14 ± 0.2%), α-terpineol (7.74 ± 0.1%), linalool (7.45 ± 0.1%), and α-pinene (4.76 ± 0.1%) made up about 60% of the OCR oil. The IC50 values of the scavenging activities of the OCA and OCR oils towards the DPPH radical and H2O2 were 79.8 ± 0.5 and 153.3 ± 0.6 μg/mL and 394.09 ± 0.2 and 311.67 ± 0.4 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, in the MTS assay, the OCA and OCR oils showed significant antiproliferative effects against T47D, MDA-MB-453, BG-1, and A549 human cancer cells that were more powerful than those against two normal human cell lines, HEK-293 and HFF-1. The abundant presence of β-elemene as an antiproliferative component of the two oils suggested the existence of a new chemotype of O. carduchorum.

Investigation on Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antifungal and Herbicidal Activities of Volatile Constituents from Deverra tortuosa (Desf.)

This study aims to analyze the chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) obtained from stems and umbels of D. tortuosa as well the assessment of their biological activity. EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The antioxidant properties were determined by DPPH and ABTS assays. The phytotoxic potential was assessed against dicots weeds (Sinapis arvensis and Trifolium campestre), monocots weeds (Lolium rigidum) and the crop Lepidium sativum. The antifungal activity was evaluated against four target phytopathogenic fungal strains. High diversity of compounds was detected in D. tortuosa Eos, varying among plant parts and consisting mainly of α-pinene (24.47-28.56%), sabinene (16.2-18.6%), α-phellandrene (6.3-11.7%) and cis-ocimene (5.28-7.85%). D. tortuosa EOs exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity, as well as interesting variable antifungal activities depending on the dose and fungi strain. The herbicidal activity of EOs showed significant efficacy on the inhibition of germination and seedling growth of all tested herbs. These results suggest that the EOs of Deverra tortuosa represent a valuable source of antioxidant, antifungal and phytotoxic metabolites and could be potential candidates for pest management, contributing to the promotion of sustainable agriculture.

Evaluation of Essential Oils as Sprout Suppressants for Potato (Solanum tuberosum) at Room Temperature Storage

Chlorpropham (CIPC) has been the dominant method of chemical sprout suppression for the last half-century. However, stricter regulations including outright bans on its use in several countries has prompted investigation into alternative products to replace it. Growing interest in organic foods has increased focus on the use of biopesticides, including essential oils (EOs), as potential sprout suppressants in stored potato. We evaluated the potential of ten EOs for sprout suppression in potato cultivar Ranger Russet at room temperature. Treatment with Cymbopogon citratus EO was found to be the most effective sprout suppressant, completely suppressing sprouting over the 90-day storage period. The EOs of Myrtus communis and Melaleuca quinquenervia significantly reduced sprout length relative to the control but did not have any effect on sprout number. These findings demonstrate the potential of select EOs as effective potato sprout suppressants that could replace CIPC use in this industry while also giving more power to organic potato producers and processors to control sprouting in their operations.

Botanic Garden as a Factory of Molecules: Myrtus communis L. subsp. communis as a Case Study

A novel perception of botanic gardens as complex “factories of molecules” (Lombardy Region Project–Lr. 25/2016, year 2021), that mediate plant–environment interactions, and are the basis of their utility for humans, is presented. The core-topic is the medicinal plant heritage of the Ghirardi Botanic Garden (Toscolano Maderno, Brescia, Italy) of the University of Milan. In this work, we studied Myrtus communis L. subsp. communis (Myrtaceae) at multiple scale levels: macro- and micromorphological, with special emphasis on the secretory structures responsible for the production of secondary metabolites; phytochemical, with the analysis of the essential oil (EO) composition from leaves (fresh, dried, stored at −20 °C and at −80 °C) and fruits over two consecutive years (2018 and 2019); bio-ecological, with a focus, based on literature data, on the ecology and biological activity of the main EO components. The occurrence of secretory cavities producing terpenes, along with flavonoids, was proven. A high level of chemical variability across the obtained EO profiles emerged, especially that concerning quantitative data. However, regardless of the different conservation procedures, the examined plant part, or the phenological stage, we detected the presence of three ubiquitous compounds: α-pinene, 1,8-cineole, and linalool. The overall results will serve to enrich the Ghirardi Botanic Garden with novel labeling showing accurate and updated scientific information in an Open science perspective.

A detailed study of the volatile components of Plectranthus asirensis of Saudi Arabian origin

Essential oil composition of Plectranthus asirensis grown in Saudi Arabia was chemically analysed for the first time by various gas chromatography techniques (GC-MS, GC-FID, Co-GC, LRI determination and database and literature searches) using two different stationary phase columns (polar and nonpolar). This analysis led to the characterisation of a total of 124 components representing 98.5% of the total oil composition. The results revealed that P. asirensis oil was mainly dominated by monoterpenoids (90.7%) in which most representative constituents were thymol (66.0 ± 0.36%), γ-terpinene (14.0 ± 0.18%), p-cymene (5.2 ± 0.06%) and β-caryophyllene (3.0 ± 0.03%). It is worth mentioning here that this is the first report on the phytochemical constituents of P. asirensis.

Green Approach for the Effective Reduction of Graphene Oxide Using Salvadora persica L. Root (Miswak) Extract

Recently, green reduction of graphene oxide (GRO) using various natural materials, including plant extracts, has drawn significant attention among the scientific community. These methods are sustainable, low cost, and are more environmentally friendly than other standard methods of reduction. Herein, we report a facile and eco-friendly method for the bioreduction of GRO using Salvadora persica L. (S. persica L.) roots (miswak) extract as a bioreductant. The as-prepared highly reduced graphene oxide (SP-HRG) was characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Various results have confirmed that the biomolecules present in the root extract of miswak not only act as a bioreductant but also functionalize the surface of SP-HRG by acting as a capping ligand to stabilize it in water and other solvents. The dispersion quality of SP-HRG in deionized water was investigated in detail by preparing different samples of SP-HRG with increasing concentration of root extract. Furthermore, the dispersibility of SP-HRG was also compared with chemically reduced graphene oxide (CRG). The developed eco-friendly method for the reduction of GRO could provide a better substitute for a large-scale production of dispersant-free graphene and graphene-based materials for various applications in both technological and biological fields such as electronics, nanomedicine, and bionic materials.

Anticorrosive assay-guided isolation of active phytoconstituents from Anthemis pseudocotula extracts and a detailed study of their effects on the corrosion of mild steel in acidic media

In this study, anticorrosive properties of various extracts (methanolic, aqueous methanolic and water extracts) of Anthemis pseudocotula for mild steel in 1.0 M HCl media is screened for the first time.