Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activity of Dracocephalum moldavica L. Essential Oil and Hydrolate

Steam distillation was used for the isolation of Dracocephalum moldavica L. (Moldavian dragonhead) essential oil (DMEO). This aromatic herbaceous plant is widespread across the Northern Hemisphere regions and has been utilized in health-improving studies and applications. In addition to the DMEO, the hydrolate (DMH), a byproduct of the distillation process, was also collected. The DMEO and DMH were analyzed and compared in terms of their chemical composition, as well as their in vitro biological activities. The main component in DMEO was geranyl acetate, while geranial was dominant in DMH. The DMEO demonstrated better antioxidant and antimicrobial activities compared with the DMH against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes, which represent sources of food-borne illness at the global level. The DMEO and DMH show promise as antioxidant and antimicrobial additives to various products.

The Use of Moldavian Dragonhead Bagasse in Shaping the Thermophysical and Physicochemical Properties of Ice Cream

The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of bagasse from Moldavian dragonhead (D. moldavica L.) seeds as a source of valuable nutrients on the physicochemical properties of rice milk ice cream. The basic composition of the ice cream was modified with a varied proportion of Moldavian dragonhead bagasse (MDB) (1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, and 3.0%). The analysis of fatty acids showed a high proportion of linolenic acid (n-3) in the tested ice cream, especially with 3.0% share of bagasse. The addition of MDB increased dry matter, fat, and protein contents in the ice cream. The increasing share of this additive affected the physical properties of ice cream, increasing hardness, adhesiveness and viscosity, and reducing their melting rate. The study showed a negligible effect of the increasing share of MDB on the thermophysical properties of ice cream. Due to the high nutritional value of the bagasse (with the appropriate refinement of the recipe), it is possible to obtain rice milk ice cream with potential health-promoting properties.

Composition, Cytotoxicity and Antioxidant Activity of the Essential Oil of Dracocephalum surmandinum from Iran

The composition of the hydrodistilled essential oil from the aerial parts of Dracocephalum surmandinum was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Monoterpenoids, including oxygenated compounds and hydrocarbons, comprising 63.4 and 33.9%, respectively, were the principal compound groups of the essential oil. In total, 25 constituents accounting for 97.8% of the oil were identified. Perilla aldehyde (54.3%) and limonene (30.1%) were characterized as the main components. The essential oil of D. surmandinum and its two main constituents showed a marked antioxidant and radical scavenging activity using different model systems, including 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and β-carotene-linoleic acid blenching assays. The results of cytotoxicity activity using the MTT assay exhibited that the oil of D. surmandinum has a good effect against human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and erythromyeloblastoid leukemia cell lines (K562) with IC50 values of 14 and 16 μg/mL, respectively. The cytotoxic potential of D. surmandinum oil against rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cell line (PC 12) was weak (IC50 of >100 μg/mL). Perilla aldehyde and limonene, the main constituents of D. surmandinum essential oil, inhibited all investigated cell growth in a dose- and time-dependent manner with IC50 values ranged from 0.25-5.0 mmol/L.