Chemical composition and antifungal activity of essential oils from medicinal plants of Kazakhstan

The significance of essential oils and their antifungal properties in the food industry: A systematic review

Essential oils (EOs) are natural products called volatile oils or aromatic and ethereal oils derived from various parts of plants. They possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which offer natural protection against a variety of pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. Studies conducted in the last decade have demonstrated the unique applications of these compounds in the fields of the food industry, agriculture, and skin health. This systematic article provides a summary of recent data pertaining to the effectiveness of EOs and their constituents in combating fungal pathogens through diverse mechanisms. Antifungal investigations involving EOs were conducted on multiple academic platforms, including Google Scholar, Science Direct, Elsevier, Springer, Scopus, and PubMed, spanning from April 2000 to October 2023. Various combinations of keywords, such as "essential oil," "volatile oils," "antifungal," and "Aspergillus species," were used in the search. Numerous essential oils have demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo antifungal activity against different species of Aspergillus, including A. niger, A. flavus, A. parasiticus, A. fumigatus, and A. ochraceus. They have also exhibited efficacy against other fungal species, such as Penicillium species, Cladosporium, and Alternaria. The findings of this study offer novel insights into inhibitory pathways and suggest the potential of essential oils as promising agents with antifungal and anti-mycotoxigenic properties. These properties could make them viable alternatives to conventional preservatives, thereby enhancing the shelf life of various food products.

Topical Application of Siberian Pine Essential Oil Formulations Enhance Diabetic Wound Healing

This study aimed to develop novel topical formulations based on a natural component (0.5% of Siberian pine essential oil) and to assess its wound-healing capacity through macroscopic, histopathological, and biochemical examination. The phytochemical profile of Pinus sibirica essential oil (PSEO) and rheological analysis and safety potential of formulations were determined. The wound-healing effect was evaluated on an excision wound model in diabetic Wistar albino rats randomly divided into the following groups topically treated with (1) untreated, (2) 1% silver sulfadiazine, (3) ointment base, (4) gel base, (5) PSEO ointment, and (6) PSEO gel. Formulations containing PSEO were stable and safe for skin application. Three weeks of treatment with both PSEO formulations (ointment and gel) led to a significant reduction in wound size (98.14% and 96.28%, respectively) and a remarkably higher level of total hydroxyproline content (9.69 µg/mg and 7.26 µg/mg dry tissue, respectively) relative to the control group (65.97%; 1.81 µg/mg dry tissue). These findings were in correlation with histopathological results. Topically applied PSEO formulations were associated with a significant reduction in most of the measured pro-oxidants and enhanced activity of the antioxidant defense system enzymes (p < 0.05). Our findings showed that gel and ointment with PSEO demonstrated significant wound-repairing capabilities in the excision wound model.

Inhibition of Perilla frutescens Essential Oil on Pellicle Formation of Candida tropicalis and Pichia kluyveri and Its Effect on Volatile Compounds in Sichuan Pickles

Pellicle formation is the most typical characteristic of deteriorating fermented vegetable products. Perilla frutescens essential oil (PEO) is widely used as a useful natural preservative. However, few studies have addressed the antifungal activity and mechanism of PEO in pellicle formation microorganisms, and it is still unclear whether it can inhibit pellicle formation and affect its volatile compounds in Sichuan pickles. The current study showed that PEO can inhibit pellicle formation during fermentation of Sichuan pickles as it had significant antifungal activity against the pellicle formation microorganisms Candida tropicalis SH1 and Pichia kluyveri SH2. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of PEO against C. tropicalis SH1 and P. kluyveri SH2 was determined to be 0.4 μL/mL, and the minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) were 1.6 μL/mL and 0.8 μL/mL, respectively. The antifungal mechanism was activated as a result of damage to the cell membrane, an increase in the cell permeability, a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential, and the inhibition of ATPase activity. Meanwhile, the addition of PEO to Sichuan pickles can enrich the profiles of volatile compounds during fermentation, including limonene, myrcene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, perilla ketone, heptanal, hexanal, α-thujone and β-terpineol and thus improve the overall sensory acceptability. These results indicated that PEO has the potential to be used as a novel food preservative to control pellicle formation in fermented vegetables.

Novel Camphor Sulfonohydrazide and Sulfonamide Derivatives as Potential Succinate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors against Phytopathogenic Fungi/Oomycetes

To discover novel fungicidal agrochemicals for treating wheat scab, 39 novel camphor sulfonohydrazide/sulfonamide derivatives 4a-4t and 6a-6s were designed and synthesized. In the in vitro antifungal/antioomycete assay, compounds 4g, 4n, and 4o displayed significant inhibitory activities against Fusarium graminearum, Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Phytophthora capsici. Among them, 4n exhibited the best antifungal activity against F. graminearum with an EC₅₀ value of 0.41 mg/L, which was at the same level as that of pydiflumetofen. The in vivo experiment revealed that 4n presented excellent protective and curative efficacy toward F. graminearum. In the antifungal mechanism study, 4n could increase the cell membrane permeability and reduce the exopolysaccharide and ergosterol content of F. graminearum. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses revealed that 4n could significantly damage the surface morphology and the cell ultrastructure of mycelia to interfere with the growth of F. graminearum. Furthermore, 4n exhibited potent succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) inhibitory activity in vitro with an IC₅₀ value of 3.94 μM, which was equipotent to pydiflumetofen (IC₅₀ = 4.07 μM). The molecular dynamics simulation and docking study suggested that compound 4n could well occupy the active site and form strong interactions with the key residues of SDH. The above-mentioned results demonstrated that the title camphor sulfonohydrazide/sulfonamide derivatives could be promising lead compounds for further succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicide development.

Phytotoxic, insecticidal, and antimicrobial activities of Ajania tibetica essential oil

The chemical profile of Ajania tibetica essential oil (EO) and its phytotoxic, insecticidal, and antimicrobial activities were assessed. Monoterpenes (79.05%) and sesquiterpenes (10.33%) were dominant in the EO, with camphor, (+/-)-lavandulol and eucalyptol being the major constituents, representing 55.06% of the total EO. The EO possessed potent phytotoxicity against Poa annua and Medicago sativa starting from 0.5 mg/mL, and when the concentration rose to 5 mg/mL, seed germination of both tested species was 100% suppressed. Ajania tibetica EO displayed significant pesticidal activity against Aphis gossypii with an LC50 value of 17.41 μg/mL; meanwhile, the EO also showed antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Verticillium dahlia and Aspergillus niger using broth microdilution and disc diffusion methods. For the tested bacterial and fungal strains, the EO exhibited a repressing effect, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.3125 to 1.25 mg/mL for bacteria and from 1.25 to 2.5 mg/mL for fungi, whereas the minimum microbicidal concentrations (MMCs) were 5 mg/mL for bacteria and 2.5 mg/mL for fungi. Our study is the first report on the chemical profile as well as the phytotoxicity, insecticidal and antimicrobic activity of A. tibetica EO, indicating its potential value as an alternative synthetic pesticide.

Present scenarios and future prospects of herbal nanomedicine for antifungal therapy

The current COVID-19 epidemic is a sobering reminder that human susceptibility to infectious diseases remains even in our modern civilization. After all, infectious diseases are still the major reason of death globally. Healthcare authorities have often underestimated and ignored the threat posed by "microbial dangers," although they put millions of lives at risk every year. Overlooked developing diseases including fungal infections (FIs) contribute to roughly 1.7 million fatalities per year. As many as 150 million cases of severe and potentially life-threatening FIs are reported each year. In the last few years, the number of instances has steadily increased. Most of them are invasive fungal infections that require specialized treatment and hospital care. In recent years herbal antifungal compounds have been explored to acquire effective and safe therapy against fungal infections. However, potential therapeutic effects are hampered by the poor solubility, stability, and bioavailability of these important chemicals as well as the gastric degradation that occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. To get around this issue, researchers have turned to novel drug delivery systems such as nanoemulsions, ethosomes, metallic nanoparticles, liposomes, lipid nanoparticles, transferosomes, etc by improving their limits, nanocarriers can enhance the medicinal effects of herbal oils and extracts. The present review article focuses on the available antifungal agents and their characteristics, mechanism of antifungal drugs resistance, herbal oils and extract as antifungal agents, challenges in the delivery of herbal drugs, and application of nano-drug delivery systems for effective delivery of antifungal herbal compounds.

The Current State and Prospects for the Use of Herbal Medicines for Wound-Healing and Anti-Inflammatory Action in Kazakhstan: A Literature Review

BACKGROUND: As dosage forms, oils, drops, ointments, solutions, films, and suppositories represent phytopreparations for external use. The use of the drug “Kyzyl mai” in clinical practice pursues the achievement of wound-healing (including anti-burn effect), anti-inflammatory, reparative, metabolic, antibacterial, antiviral, and analgesic effects. AIM: We aimed to analyze the range of soft dosage forms in the form of suppositories with herbal components in their composition, used as anti-inflammatory and wound-healing agents. METHODS: The design in this study was a literature review article. Search for articles using relevant ones obtained from data based on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar obtained 283 articles. RESULTS: There are 12 articles that are relevant and discuss their content and use in the health. CONCLUSION: This review presents new dosage forms have been created – medicinal film “Fiadent,” medicinal film “Normophyt,” medicinal film with Piyavit. On the basis of chamomile extract obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, the optimal composition and technological scheme for the production of anti-inflammatory suppositories for use in proctology have been developed. The article describes a literature review of suppositories of anti-inflammatory action based on essential oil of balsamic poplar buds which have been developed.

Essential Oils of Six Achillea Species: Chemical Profiles, Antimicrobial Potential and Toxicity toward Crustaceans

This is the first comparative study on antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EOs) of six Achillea species ( A. crithmifolia , A. distans , A. grandifolia , A. millefolium , A. nobilis , and A. lingulata ) against ATCC and clinical microbial strains isolated from human swabs and on their toxicological potential on crustaceans. Oxygenated monoterpenes represented the major compound class in all six EOs, ranging from around 50% ( A. millefolium , A. nobilis , and A. lingulata ) up to over 80% ( A . crithmifolia and A. grandifolia ). Specific phytochemical profiles of the major volatiles were determined for each species. Still, borneol was the dominant compound in EOs of three yarrow species: A. distans , A. lingulata , and A. millefolium . Other major compounds were 1,8-cineole in A. crithmifolia, camphor in A. grandifolia , and artemisia ketone in A. nobilis EO. Antimicrobial activities of EOs were examined by a microdilution method revealing inhibitory action against all 15 studied strains in the range of 0.07-20.00 mg/mL (MICs). High toxicity (LC 50 <100 µg/mL) in Artemia salina acute toxicity bioassay was a shared characteristic, appearing in five out of six tested EOs, i.e. those isolated from A. lingulata , A. millefolium , A. distans , A. nobilis , and A. grandifolia . In both types of biological tests, A. lingulata EO has shown the highest and A . crithmifolia EO the lowest potential. The strongest activities, recorded for EO of A. lingulata , which was the only studied species from the section Anthemoideae , may be explained by its somewhat unusual chemical composition. According to the obtained results, the second dominant compound of this EO is γ-palmitolactone, which may be a significant agent regarding the antimicrobial activity and toxicity to crustaceans, either on its own or in union with other components, and it may be a suitable topic for further research.

Innate Immunomodulatory Activity of Cedrol, a Component of Essential Oils Isolated from Juniperus Species

Little is known about the immunomodulatory activity of essential oils isolated from Juniperus species. Thus, we isolated essential oils from the cones and leaves of eight juniper species found in Montana and in Kazakhstan, including J. horizontalis, J. scopolorum, J. communis, J. seravschanica, J. sabina, J. pseudosabina, J. pseudosabina subsp. turkestanica, and J. sibirica. We report here the chemical composition and innate immunomodulatory activity of these essential oils. Compositional analysis of the 16 samples of Juniper essential oils revealed similarities and differences between our analyses and those previously reported for essential oils from this species. Our studies represent the first analysis of essential oils isolated from the cones of four of these Juniper species. Several essential oil samples contained high levels of cedrol, which was fairly unique to three Juniper species from Kazakhstan. We found that these essential oils and pure (+)-cedrol induced intracellular Ca²⁺ mobilization in human neutrophils. Furthermore, pretreatment of human neutrophils and N-formyl peptide receptor 1 and 2 (FPR1 and FPR2) transfected HL60 cells with these essential oils or (+)-cedrol inhibited agonist-induced Ca²⁺ mobilization, suggesting these responses were desensitized by this pretreatment. In support of this conclusion, pretreatment with essential oils from J. seravschanica cones (containing 16.8% cedrol) or pure (+)-cedrol inhibited human neutrophil chemotaxis to N-formyl peptide. Finally, reverse pharmacophore mapping predicted several potential kinase targets for cedrol. Thus, our studies have identified cedrol as a novel neutrophil agonist that can desensitize cells to subsequent stimulation by N-formyl peptide.

Essential Oil Composition and Bioactivity of Two Juniper Species from Bulgaria and Slovakia

Juniperus excelsa M. Bieb and J. sabina L. contain essential oil (EO), while J. sabina also contains podophyllotoxin, which is used as a precursor for anti-cancer drugs. Two studies were conducted. The first assessed the variability in the EO profile and podophyllotoxin concentration of the two junipers, depending on the location and tree gender. The main EO constituents of J. excelsa were α-cedrol, α-limonene and α-pinene, while the constituents in J. sabina were sabinene, terpinen-4-ol, myrtenyl acetate and α-cadinol. The podophyllotoxin yield of 18 J. sabina accessions was 0.07–0.32% (w/w), but this was not found in any of the J. excelsa accessions. The second study assessed the effect of hydrodistillation (Clevenger apparatus) and steam distillation (in a semi-commercial apparatus) on the EO profile and bioactivity. The extraction type did not significantly alter the EO composition. The EO profiles of the two junipers and their accessions were different and may be of interest to the industry utilizing juniper leaf EO. Breeding and selection programs could be developed with the two junipers (protected species) in order to identify chemotypes with (1) a high EO content and desirable composition, and (2) a high concentration of podophyllotoxin in J. sabina. Such chemotypes could be established as agricultural crops for the commercial production of podophyllotoxin and EO.

Secondary Metabolites from Artemisia Genus as Biopesticides and Innovative Nano-Based Application Strategies

The Artemisia genus includes a large number of species with worldwide distribution and diverse chemical composition. The secondary metabolites of Artemisia species have numerous applications in the health, cosmetics, and food sectors. Moreover, many compounds of this genus are known for their antimicrobial, insecticidal, parasiticidal, and phytotoxic properties, which recommend them as possible biological control agents against plant pests. This paper aims to evaluate the latest available information related to the pesticidal properties of Artemisia compounds and extracts and their potential use in crop protection. Another aspect discussed in this review is the use of nanotechnology as a valuable trend for obtaining pesticides. Nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, and nanocapsules represent a more efficient method of biopesticide delivery with increased stability and potency, reduced toxicity, and extended duration of action. Given the negative impact of synthetic pesticides on human health and on the environment, Artemisia-derived biopesticides and their nanoformulations emerge as promising ecofriendly alternatives to pest management.

A Review of Conifers in Iran: Chemistry, Biology and their Importance in Traditional and Modern Medicine

Cupressus sempervirens, Platycladus orientalis, Juniperus communis, J. excelsa, J. foetidissima, J. polycarpos var. turcomanica, J. sabina, and Taxus baccata are conifers in Iran. These plants have a long reputation in different systems of traditional medicines for a variety of diseases. This review aims to provide comprehensive and up-to-date information about the ethnopharmacological uses, chemical constituents, and pharmacology of these conifers. Furthermore this study comprises a bibliographical survey of major Islamic Traditional Medicine (ITM) books regarding different medical aspects of these species. A literature search was conducted on the applications of these conifers both in traditional and modern medicines by referencing traditional textbooks and scientific databases. Ethnobotanical literature review indicates that various parts of the plants including cones, berries, leaves, bark, wood, and resin have been used for a broad spectrum of applications. In Iran, C. sempervirens, J. sabina, J. communis, and T. baccata have been used traditionally for the treatment of urinary, digestive, nervous, respiratory, and integumentary systems-related problems. The phytochemical constituents of these plants can be divided into two main categories: volatile and non-volatile components, all dominated by terpenes. Considering the pharmacological and clinical evidence, while some of the traditional applications of these plants are supported by modern medicine, implying the value of the traditional and folklore knowledge for finding new lead compounds in drug discovery, some have remained unexamined showing the need for much more studies in this regard.

Chemical composition and larvicidal activity of essential oils from Peganum harmala, Nepeta cataria and Phellodendron amurense against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Essential oils from aerial parts of the herbs Peganum harmala and Nepeta cataria, and leaves of the tree Phellodendron amurense were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS, and their larvicidal activities were assayed on the early fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti. The major constituents of the oils were limonene (14.5%) and thymol (11.5%) in P. harmala, thymol (46.5%), 4aα,7α,7aβ-nepetalactone (18.3%) and 4aα,7β,7aα-neptalactone (19.7%) in N. cataria, eugenol (14.5%) andγ-eudesmol (9.5%) in P. amurense.The oil of N. cataria had a strong larvicidal activity (LC50 < 50 µg/mL; LC90 < 86.8 µg/mL) on A. aegypti while the remaining oils showed a moderated killing effect. The larvicidal activity of N. cataria oil was associated to the contents of 1,8-cineol, camphor, 4aα,7α,7aβ-Nepetalactone, 4aα,7β,7aα-Nepetalactone and thymol. Our results indicate that the oil of N. catariadeserves to be used as a source of larvicidal agents against A. aegypti.

Medicinal Plant Compounds for Combating the Multi-drug Resistant Pathogenic Bacteria: A Review

BACKGROUND

Globally, people utilize plants as the main source of remedy to heal various ailments. Medicinal plants have been utilized to treat ailments since the invention of modern scientific systems of medicine. The common remedy of infectious diseases mainly depends on the inhibition capacity of compounds or killing potential. The issue may give a clue for the development of a novel antimicrobial agent.

METHODS

Currently, microorganisms which are resistant towards antibiotics are probably a matter of serious concern for the overall well-being of health. At the moment, new therapeutic targets aside from the microorganism wall-based activities are in progress. For instance, the autoinducer molecules produced by the quorum sensing system are used to control antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation.

RESULTS

This therapeutic target is well-studied worldwide, however, the scientific data are not updated and only current studies started to gain insight into its perspective as a target to struggle against infectious diseases. Microbial resistance against antimicrobial compounds is a topic of serious concern in recent time.

CONCLUSION

Hence, this paper aims to confer a current overview of the novel compounds, quorum sensing, quorum quenching, biofilm formation in the development of antibiotic resistance and an update on their importance as a potential target for natural substances.

Chemical composition, UV/vis absorptivity, and antioxidant activity of essential oils from bark and leaf of phoebe zhennan S. K. Lee & F. N. Wei

The chemical composition of essential oils (EO) from bark and leaf of P. zhennan was identified by GC-MS. The compounds of α-calacorene, τ-cadinol, β-eudesmol and d-cadinene were found in the essential oils from both bark and leaf. The UV-Vis spectra results indicated the EO could completely absorbed the UV light at the wavelength range of 200-370 nm, revealing that EO had great potential as additives for manufacturing UV light blocking products. The radical DPPH scavenging activity assay showed that both the bark and leaf EO possessed strong DPPH radical scavenging activity of 90.25% and 82.10% respectively, which provides an important theoretical guiding in exploiting the value of P. zhennan bark and leaf.[Formula: see text].

Activity of Salvia dolomitica and Salvia somalensis Essential Oils against Bacteria, Molds and Yeasts

Essential oils (EOs) from Salvia dolomitica and Salvia somalensis, widely employed in the cosmetic and perfume industry, were analyzed for composition and tested against bacterial and fungal pathogens isolated from clinical and environmental specimens. The analyses were carried out against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus pseudointermedius, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus canis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Mucor sp. and Trichothecium roseum. Both EOs showed similar percentages of total monoterpenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. The main constituents were 1,8-cineole and β-caryophyllene in S. dolomitica and bornyl acetate and camphor in S. somalensis. The selected EOs have no relevant antifungal or antibacterial activities if compared to conventional drugs.