Chemical compositions, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oils of Piper caninum Blume

Biological evaluation of Safrole oil and Safrole oil Nanoemulgel as antioxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer

Background

Safrole is a natural compound extracted from various plants, and has shown various biological activities. The current study aimed to investigate the antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and anticancer activity of safrole oil and to study the influence of safrole nanoemulgel on these activities.

Methods

The antioxidant and antidiabetic in-vitro assays were conducted using standard biomedical methods. The safrole oil nanoemulgel was developed using a self-emulsifying technique. Then the antimicrobial activity of the safrole oil and safrole nanoemulgel were performed on different microbial species, and cytotoxicity was determined against Hep3B cancer cell lines using the MTS assay.

Results

Safrole oil showed moderate antioxidant activity compared with standard Trolox, with IC₅₀ value 50.28 ± 0.44 and 1.55 ± 0.32 μg/ml, respectively. Moreover, it had potent α-amylase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ 11.36 ± 0.67 μg/ml) compared with Acarbose (IC₅₀ value 5.88 ± 0.63). The safrole nanoemulgel had pseudo-plastic behaviour, droplet sizes below 200 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) below 0.3, and a zeta potential of less than − 30 mV. Safrole oil has potential antimicrobial and anticancer activities, and these activities were improved with safrole nanoemulgel.

Conclusion

The safrole oil may be applied for the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress, diabetes, different microbial species and cancer, and these activities could be improved by nano-carriers.

A systematic review of botany, phytochemicals and pharmacological properties of "Hoja sant a" (Piper auritum Kunth)

Hoja santa (Piper auritum) refers to an important presence in Mexican cuisine. The information of this review article was gathered from several electronic sources such as Scopus, Medline, Scielo, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Lilacs. Phytochemical studies have revealed the presence of benzoic acid derivatives, phenylpropanoids and triterpenoids, while the essential oils have shown its richness in safrole, hence it has several activities, such as antioxidant, toxicity, insecticidal, anti-diabetic and cytotoxic properties. This review is expected to draw the attention of medical professionals and the general public towards P. auritum as well as to open the door for detailed research in the future.

A Mixture of Piper Leaves Extracts and Rhizobacteria for Sustainable Plant Growth Promotion and Bio-Control of Blast Pathogen of Organic Bali Rice

Rice is a crop that is consumed as a staple food by the majority of the people in the world and therefore failure in rice crops, due to any reason, poses a severe threat of starvation. Rice blast, caused by a fungus Pyricularia oryzae, has been ranked among the most threatening plant diseases of rice and it is found wherever rice is grown. All of the rice blast disease management strategies employed so far have had limited success and rice blast has never been eliminated from rice fields. Hence, there is a need to look for the best remedy in terms of effectiveness, sustainability, and organic nature of the method. This study was aimed at determining the plant growth-promoting and fungicidal effects of a mixture of Piper caninum and Piper betle var. Nigra leaves extracts and rhizobacteria. Gas chromatography–mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) analysis of a mixture of leaves extracts of these plants revealed the presence of new bioactive compounds such as alpha.-gurjunene, gamma.-terpinene, and ethyl 5-formyl 3-(2-ethoxycarbonyl) in a mixture of leaves extracts of P. caninum and P. betle var. Nigra. The mixture of these extracts reduced the intensity of blast disease, inhibited P. oryzae, and improved the growth, yield, and quality of Bali rice. All treatments comprising of different concentrations of a mixture of leaves extracts of P. caninum and P. betle var. Nigra plus rhizobacteria exhibited biocontrol and bioefficacy. However, a 2% concentration of a mixture of these leaves extracts with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) exhibited potent inhibition of growth of P. oryzae, a significant reduction in the intensity of blast disease, and a maximum increase in growth, yield, and quality of Bali rice. In the 15th week, the intensity of blast disease decreased from 80.18% to 7.90%. The mixture of leaves extract + PGPR also improved the height of the plant, the number of tillers, number of leaves, number of grains per panicle, number of heads per panicle, and the full-grain weight per clump. Applications of various concentrations of a mixture of leaves extracts + PGPR resulted in improvement in the potential yield of rice, however, the application of 2% extracts + PGPR gave the highest potential yield of 5.61 tha−1 compared to the low yields in the control and other treatments. The high grain yield observed with the treatment was caused by the low intensity of blast disease. This treatment also strengthened the stem and prevented the drooping of the plant and improved the quality of rice grain.

Chemical investigation and biological activities of the essential oil of Knema kunstleri Warb. from Malaysia

The chemical composition of the essential oil of Knema kunstleri Warb. (Myristicaceae) was investigated for the first time. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and fully characterized by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In total, 36 components were identified in the essential oil, which made up 91.7% of the total oil. The essential oil is composed mainly of β-caryophyllene (23.2%), bicyclogermacrene (9.6%), δ-cadinene (7.3%), α-humulene (5.7%), and germacrene D (4.3%). The essential oil showed moderate activity towards DPPH free-radical scavenging and lipoxygenase inhibition. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of the composition and bioactivities of the essential oil report concerning the genus Knema.

Piper diospyrifolium Kunth.: Chemical analysis and antimicrobial (intrinsic and combined) activities

The secular use of plants in popular medicine has emerged as a source for the discovery of new compounds capable of curing infections. Among microbial resistance to commercial drugs, species such as Piper diospyrifolium Kunth, which are used in popular therapy, are targets for pharmacological studies. With this in mind, antimicrobial experiments with the essential oil from the P. diospyrifolium (PDEO) species were performed and its constituents were elucidated. The oil compounds were identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The broth microdilution method with colorimetric readings for bacterial tests (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) and spectrophotometric readings for fungal tests (Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis), whose data were used to create a cell viability curve and calculate its IC₅₀ against fungal cells, were used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of the oil and its combined action with commercial drugs. The oil's minimal fungicidal concentration and its action over fungal morphological transition were analyzed by subculture and microculture, respectively. Chemical analysis revealed Z-Carpacin, Pogostol and E-Caryophyllene as the most abundant compounds. Results from the intrinsic analysis were considered clinically irrelevant, however the oil presented a synergistic effect against multiresistant E. coli and S. aureus strains when associated with gentamicin, and against the standard and isolated C. tropicalis strains with fluconazole. A fungicidal effect was observed against the C. albicans isolate. Candida spp. hyphae inhibition was verified for all strains at the highest tested concentrations. The P. diospyrifolium essential oil presented a promising effect when associated with commercial drugs and against a fungal virulence factor. Thus, the oil presented active compounds which may help the development of new drugs, however, new studies are needed in order to clarify the oil's mechanism of action, as well as to identify its active constituents.

Piper Species: A Comprehensive Review on Their Phytochemistry, Biological Activities and Applications

Piper species are aromatic plants used as spices in the kitchen, but their secondary metabolites have also shown biological effects on human health. These plants are rich in essential oils, which can be found in their fruits, seeds, leaves, branches, roots and stems. Some Piper species have simple chemical profiles, while others, such as Piper nigrum, Piper betle, and Piper auritum, contain very diverse suites of secondary metabolites. In traditional medicine, Piper species have been used worldwide to treat several diseases such as urological problems, skin, liver and stomach ailments, for wound healing, and as antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agents. In addition, Piper species could be used as natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents in food preservation. The phytochemicals and essential oils of Piper species have shown strong antioxidant activity, in comparison with synthetic antioxidants, and demonstrated antibacterial and antifungal activities against human pathogens. Moreover, Piper species possess therapeutic and preventive potential against several chronic disorders. Among the functional properties of Piper plants/extracts/active components the antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and neuropharmacological activities of the extracts and extract-derived bioactive constituents are thought to be key effects for the protection against chronic conditions, based on preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies, besides clinical studies. Habitats and cultivation of Piper species are also covered in this review. In this current work, available literature of chemical constituents of the essential oils Piper plants, their use in traditional medicine, their applications as a food preservative, their antiparasitic activities and other important biological activities are reviewed.

Chemical Composition and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory Activity of Essential Oils from Piper Species

The essential oils (EOs) derived from aromatic plants such as Piper species are considered to play a role in alleviating neuronal ailments that are associated with inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The chemical compositions of 23 EOs prepared from 16 Piper spp. were analyzed by both gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 76 compounds were identified in the EOs from the leaves and stems of 19 samples, while 30 compounds were detected in the EOs from the fruits of four samples. Sesquiterpenes and phenylpropanoids were found to be rich in these EOs, of which asaricin, caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, isospathulenol, (+)-spathulenol, and β-bisabolene are the major constituents. The EOs from the leaves and stems of Piper austrosinense, P. puberulum, P. flaviflorum, P. betle, and P. hispidimervium showed strong AChE inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ values in the range of 1.51 to 13.9 mg/mL. A thin-layer chromatography (TLC) bioautography assay was employed to identify active compound(s) in the most active EO from P. hispidimervium. The active compound was isolated and identified as asaricin, which gave an IC₅₀ value of 0.44 ± 0.02 mg/mL against AChE, comparable to galantamine with an IC₅₀ 0.15 ± 0.01 mg/mL.

Chemical composition and biological activities of essential oil of Beilschmiedia pulverulenta

CONTEXT

The ethnopharmacological study of Beilschmiedia indicates that several species are used for the treatment of various ailments.

OBJECTIVE

This is the first study of the chemical composition of Beilschmiedia pulverulenta Kosterm (Lauraceae) essential oil and its antioxidant, antimicrobial, antityrosinase, anti-inflammatory, and anticholinesterase activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The antioxidant activities were evaluated by β-carotene, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and phenolic content at different concentrations. The antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi were revealed by disk diffusion and microdilution. The antityrosinase and anti-inflammatory activities were assayed against mushroom tyrosinase and lipoxygenase enzymes. The anticholinesterase activity was analyzed using acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes.

RESULTS

Forty-two components were detected in B. pulverulenta oil with eugenol (45.3%) being the major component. The oil phenolic content and the FRAP were 660.1 mg gallic acid/g and 604.0 mg ascorbic acid/g, respectively. The oil gave an IC50 value of 94.5 µg/mL and an inhibition of 93.9% in DPPH and β-carotene, respectively. The antimicrobial activity showed that the oil had strong activity against all Gram-positive bacteria with an minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value each of 62.5 µg/mL and moderate against all fungi with MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values each of 125 µg/mL. The oil showed significant antityrosinase and anti-inflammatory activities with 67.6 and 62.5% inhibition, respectively. In addition, the oil had moderate AChE (56.5%) and BChE (48.2%) activities.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The results show that the oil could potentially be used for nutraceutical industries, food manufactures, and therapeutic agents against various diseases such as inflammation and rheumatism.

Chemical Compositions and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oils of Piper abbreviatum, P. erecticaule and P. lanatum (Piperaceae)

The study was designed to examine the chemical composition and antimicrobial activities of essential oils extracted from the aerial parts of three Piper species: Piper abbreviatum, P. erecticaule and P. lanatum, all from Malaysia. GC and GC/MS analysis showed qualitative and quantitative differences between these oils. GC and GC-MS analysis of P. abbreviatum, P. erecticaule and P. lanatum oils resulted in the identification of 33, 35 and 39 components, representing 70.5%, 63.4% and 78.2% of the components, respectively. The major components of P. abbreviatum oil were spathulenol (11.2%), ( E)-nerolidol (8.5%) and β-caryophyllene (7.8%), whereas P. erecticaule oil mainly contained β-caryophyllene (5.7%) and spathulenol (5.1%). Borneol (7.5%), β-caryophyllene (6.6%) and α-amorphene (5.6%) were the most abundant components in P. lanatum oil. Antimicrobial activity was carried out using disc diffusion and broth micro-dilution method against nine microorganisms. All of the essential oils displayed weak activity towards Gram-positive bacteria with MIC values in the range 250–500 μg/mL. P. erecticaule oil showed the best activity on Aspergillus niger (MIC 31.3 μg/mL), followed by P. lanatum oil (MIC 62.5 μg/mL). This study demonstrated that the essential oils have potential as antimicrobial agents and may be useful in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.

Chemical compositions and biological activities of the essential oils of Beilschmiedia madang Blume (Lauraceae)

The present study aimed to examine the chemical compositions of the essential oils of Beilschmiedia madang and their antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anticholinesterase and anti-tyrosinase activities. The major constituents of the essential oils of leaf and bark of B. madang were δ-cadinene (17.0 and 20.5 %), β-caryophyllene (10.3 and 6.7 %), α-cubebene (11.3 and 15.6 %), and α-cadinol (5.8 and 10.6 %). The essential oils were screened for their antioxidant activities using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching, and total phenolic content. The bark oil showed the highest β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching (90.3 % ± 0.2) and DPPH radical scavenging (IC50 212.0 µg/mL), while the highest phenolic content was exhibited by the leaf oil (94.5 % ± 0.3 mg GA/g). The antibacterial and antifungal activities were investigated by the disc diffusion and micro dilution method. The leaf and bark oils showed moderate activity towards Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value 125 µg/mL. For antifungal assay, the bark oil showed strong activity towards Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigatus with MIC value 62.5 µg/mL. Anticholinesterase and anti-tyrosinase activities were evaluated against Ellman method and mushroom tyrosinase, respectively. The results showed that leaf oil gave significant percentage inhibition (I%: acetylcholinesterase 55.2 %, butyrylcholinesterase 60.4 %, tyrosinase 53.1 %).

GC and GC/MS analysis of essential oil composition of the endemic Soqotraen Leucas virgata Balf.f. and its antimicrobial and antioxidant activities

Leucas virgata Balf.f. (Lamiaceae) was collected from the Island Soqotra (Yemen) and its essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation. The chemical composition of the oil was investigated by GC and GC-MS. Moreover, the essential oil was evaluated for its antimicrobial activity against two Gram-positive bacteria, two Gram-negative bacteria, and one yeast species by using broth micro-dilution assay for minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and antioxidant activity by measuring the scavenging activity of the DPPH radical. The investigation led to the identification of 43 constituents, representing 93.9% of the total oil. The essential oil of L. virgata was characterized by a high content of oxygenated monoterpenes (50.8%). Camphor (20.5%) exo-fenchol (3.4%), fenchon (5.4%), and borneol (3.1%) were identified as the main components. Oxygenated sesquiterpenes were found as the second major group of compounds (21.0%). β-Eudesmol (6.1%) and caryophyllene oxide (5.1%) were the major compounds among oxygenated sesquiterpenes. The results of the antimicrobial assay showed that the oil exhibited a great antibacterial activity against the tested S. aureus, B. subtilis, and E. coli. No activity was found against P. aeruginosa and C. albicans. Moreover, the DPPH-radical scavenging assay exhibited only a moderate antioxidant activity (31%) for the oil at the highest concentration tested (1 mg/mL).

Total phenolic, antioxidant, antimicrobial activities and toxicity study of Gynotroches axillaris blume (Rhizophoraceae)

The antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content, as well as the influence of petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol extracts from the leaves of Gynotroches axillaris, on microorganisms were studied. The total phenolic contents were evaluated by using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and the obtained values ranged from 70.0 to 620 mg GAE/g. The efficiency of antioxidation, which was identified through the scavenging of free radical DPPH, exhibited that the highest IC50 was in the methanolic extract (44.7 µg/mL) as compared to the standard ascorbic acid (25.83 µg/mL) and to standard BHT (17.2 µg/mL). In vitro antimicrobial activity of extracts was tested against Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria and fungi. Methanol extract showed activity in the range (225-900 μg/mL) with both types, while petroleum ether and chloroform extracts were only active with Bacillus subtilis. The three extracts strongly inhibited all fungi with activity 225-450 μg/mL. The toxicity test against brine shrimps indicated that all extracts were non-toxic with LC50 value more than 1000 µg/mL. The finding of this study supports the safety of these extracts to be used in medical treatments.

Antioxidant, antitubercular and cytotoxic activities of Piper imperiale

Phenolic compounds are widely distributed in Nature and act as pharmacologically active constituents in many herbal medicines. They have multiple biological properties, most notably antioxidant, antibacterial and cytotoxic activities. In the present study an attempt to correlate the phenolic composition of leaf, flower and wood extracts of Piper imperiale, with antioxidant, antitubercular and cytotoxic activities was undertaken. The total phenol content ranged from 1.98 to 6.94 mg GAE/gDW among ethanolic extracts, and gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, ferulic acid, resveratrol and quercetin were identified and quantified by HPLC. DPPH and ABTS assays showed high antioxidant activity of the leaf extract (EC_50ABTS = 15.6 µg/mL, EC_50DPPH = 27.3 µg/mL) with EC₅₀ in the same order of magnitude as the hydroxyquinone (EC_50ABTS = 10.2 µg/mL, EC_50DPPH = 15.7 µg/mL). The flower extract showed strong antimicrobial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇Rv. All the extracts exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 cancer cells. This is the first time that a Piper extract has been found to be highly active against M. tuberculosis. This study shows the biological potential of Piper imperiale extracts and gives way to bio-guided studies with well-defined biological activities.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of kumquat (Fortunella crassifolia Swingle) peel

The aim of this study was to determine the main constituents of the essential oil isolated from Fortunella crassifolia Swingle peel by hydro-distillation, and to test the efficacy of the essential oil on antimicrobial activity. Twenty-five components, representing 92.36% of the total oil, were identified by GC-MS analysis. The essential oil showed potent antimicrobial activity against both Gram-negative (E. coli and S. typhimurium) and Gram-positive (S. aureus, B. cereus, B. subtilis, L. bulgaricus, and B. laterosporus) bacteria, together with a remarkable antifungal activity against C. albicans. In a food model of beef extract, the essential oil was observed to possess an effective capacity to control the total counts of viable bacteria. Furthermore, the essential oil showed strongly detrimental effects on the growth and morphological structure of the tested bacteria. It was suggested that the essential oil from Fortunella crassifolia Swingle peel might be used as a natural food preservative against bacteria or fungus in the food industry.