Composition and antimicrobial activity of Equisetum arvense L. essential oil

The volatile constituents of the sterile stems of Equisetum arvense L. (Equisetaceae) were investigated for the first time using GC, GC/MS and (13)C-NMR. Twenty-five compounds were identified. Hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (18.34%), cis-geranyl acetone (13.74%), thymol (12.09%) and trans-phytol (10.06%) were the major constituents. A disk diffusion method was used for the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of this oil against a panel of microorganisms (bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enteritidis; fungi: Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans). The 1:10 dilution of the essential oil of Equisetum arvense L. was shown to possess a broad spectrum of a very strong antimicrobial activity against all tested strains.     

Spasmolytic action of the essential oil of Achillea ageratum L. in rats

The spasmolytic activity of Achillea ageratum L. essential oil in isolated rat duodenum has been in estigated. The essential oil was found to present a marked spasmolytic activity against acetylcholine and BaCl₂ via a non-competitive type of antagonism.     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Cryptomeria japonica

The composition and the antibacterial activity of the essential oil obtained from Cryptomeria japonica D. Don on oral bacteria were studied. The chemical composition of the essential oil was analysed by GC and GC-MS. Sixty-eight compounds accounting for 95.82% of the oil were identified. The main compounds in the oil were alpha-pinene (6.07%), sabinene (8.86%), terpinen-4-ol (9.77%), alpha-terpineol (6.13%), elemol (11.17%) and 10(15)-cadinen-4-ol (7.16%). The essential oil and some of its major compounds were tested for antimicrobial activity against 15 different genera of oral bacteria. The essential oil of C. japonica exhibited considerable inhibitory effects against all bacteria tested (MICs, 0.025-0.05 mg/mL; MBCs, 0.025-0.1 mg/mL), while its major compounds demonstrated various degrees of growth inhibition.     

Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Ballota pseudodictamnus L. Bentham

The chemical composition of the essential oil of Ballota pseudodictamnus obtained from the aerial parts was analysed by GC/MS. From the 52 identified constituents of the oil, caryophyllene oxide, phytol and gamma-muurolene were the major components. Furthermore, the essential oil was investigated for its antimicrobial activity.     

Antimicrobial activity of essential oil and methanol extracts of Achillea sintenisii Hub. Mor. (Asteraceae)

The essential oil, obtained by Clevenger distillation, and water-soluble and water-insoluble parts of the methanol extracts of Achillea sintenisii Hub. Mor. were individually assayed for their antimicrobial activities against 12 bacteria and two yeasts, Candida albicans and C. krusei. No activity was exhibited by the water-soluble subfraction, whereas both the water-insoluble subfraction of the methanol extracts and the essential oil were found to be active against some test microorganisms studied. Since the essential oil possessed stronger activity than the other extracts tested, it was further fractionated and the fractions were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity, followed by GC-MS analysis, resulting in the identification of 32 compounds which constituted 90.2% of the total oil. The GC-MS analysis of the oil and its fractions revealed that the main components of the oil, e.g. camphor and eucalyptol, possessed appreciable activity against C. albicans and Clostridium perfringens. The fi ndings presented here also suggest that the other constituents of the oil, e.g. borneol and piperitone can also be taken into account for the activity observed.     

The in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil and methanol extracts of Achillea biebersteini Afan. (Asteraceae)

The essential oil and methanol extracts from A. biebersteinii Afan. (Asteraceae) were evaluated for their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities in vitro. The oil showed stronger antimicrobial activity than the extracts. Their antioxidant features were also evaluated using diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), inhibition of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals and inhibition of the lipid peroxidation assays. Particularly, polar subfraction of the methanol extract showed antioxidant activity. The GC-MS analysis of the oil has resulted in the identification of 23 components; piperitone, eucalyptol, camphor, chrysanthenone and borneol were the main components. Antimicrobial activity tests carried out with the fractions of the oil showed that the activity was mainly observed in those containing eucalyptol and camphor, in particular, followed by borneol and piperitone.     

Phytochemical analysis and in vitro antimicrobial activity of two Satureja species essential oils

The phytochemical GC[sol ]MS analysis and in vitro antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of the aerial parts of Satureja montana L. and Satureja cuneifolia Ten., collected in Croatia were performed. The major compound of S. montana oil was the phenolic monoterpene carvacrol (45.7%). Other important compounds were the monoterpenic hydrocarbons p-cymene (12.6%), gamma-terpinene (8.1%) and the oxygen-containing compounds carvacrol methyl ether, borneol, thymol and thymol methyl ether. The volatile oil of S. cuneifolia was characterized as beta-cubebene (8.7%), limonene (8.3%), alpha-pinene (6.9%), spathulenol and beta-caryophyllene. The antimicrobial effects of S. montana and S. cuneifolia oils were found to have a broad spectrum activity against multidrug-resistant pathogens by the broth microdilution method. These oils were active against all the test strains, with the exception of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Compared with S. cuneifolia, savory oil exhibited greater antimicrobial activity. The maximum activity of savory oil was observed against Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and against the yeast (Candida albicans). The essential oil of S. cuneifolia was also found to inhibit the growth of medically important pathogens such as S. aureus and E. coli. Fungicidal activity for both oils against C. albicans and S. cerevisiae was also observed.     

Antibacterial Activity and Composition of the Volatile Oil from Achillea Ageratum L.

Artemisia ketone, artemisia alcohol, β-caryophyllene oxide and 1,8-cineole were confirmed as the major components of the volatile oil from Achillea ageratum L. In an antibacterial diffusion assay, the volatile oil showed activity mainly against Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus sp. and Staphylococcus aureus . The oil also showed some activity against the Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli .     

The chemical composition and biological activity of clove essential oil, Eugenia caryophyllata (Syzigium aromaticum L. Myrtaceae): a short review

The essential oil extracted from the dried flower buds of clove, Eugenia caryophyllata L. Merr. & Perry (Myrtaceae), is used as a topical application to relieve pain and to promote healing and also finds use in the fragrance and flavouring industries. The main constituents of the essential oil are phenylpropanoids such as carvacrol, thymol, eugenol and cinnamaldehyde. The biological activity of Eugenia caryophyllata has been investigated on several microorganisms and parasites, including pathogenic bacteria, Herpes simplex and hepatitis C viruses. In addition to its antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal and antiviral activity, clove essential oil possesses antiinflammatory, cytotoxic, insect repellent and anaesthetic properties. This short review addresses the chemical composition and biological effects of clove essential oil, and includes new results from GC/MS analysis and a study of its antimicrobial activity against a large number of multi-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from dialysis biomaterials.     

泰山野生白苏叶挥发油成分GC-MS分析与抑菌活性研究

目的研究泰山野生白苏Perilla frutescens叶挥发油组成及抑菌活性。方法水蒸气蒸馏法提取白苏叶挥发油,采用GC-MS法对挥发油成分进行分析;以大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌、白色念珠菌和红色毛癣菌为供试菌种,平板打孔法初步测定挥发油抑菌活性,试管稀释法测定挥发油最低抑菌浓度和最低杀菌浓度。结果白苏叶挥发油已鉴定成分占总量的98.45%,其主要成分有2,6-二甲基-6-(4-甲基-3-戊烯基)-双环[3.1.1]庚-2-烯(18.23%)、紫苏酮(18.16%)、戊基苯酚(17.3%)、石竹烯(14.79%)、芳樟醇(7.69%);白苏叶挥发油对4种供试菌的最低抑菌浓度分别为2.500、2.500、0.625、0.100μL/mL,最低杀菌浓度分别为5.000、2.500、1.250、0.200μL/mL。结论白苏叶挥发油对细菌和真菌都有抑制和杀灭作用,尤其对红色毛癣菌有较强的杀灭作用。     

侧柏果实挥发油化学成分的研究

 目的:研究侧柏果实挥发油的化学成分。方法:采用水蒸汽蒸馏法提取侧柏果实挥发油;以气相色语-质谱( GC-MS)联用技术，对化学成分进行分离和鉴定。通过标准图谱对照确定化合物名称。以总离子流图归一化法测定其百分含量。结果:共分离出40多个峰，确证了其中34种成分，其含量占总离子流的92%以上。结论:侧柏果实挥发油的主要化学成分为a-雪松酯。     

Potentiation of antimicrobial activity of ciprofloxacin by Pelargonium graveolens essential oil against selected uropathogens

The recent approach of using herbs and antibiotics in combination constitutes a strategy to overcome the problems of resistance and side effects associated with conventional antibiotics. In the present study, the antimicrobial effect of Pelargonium graveolens L' Hér essential oil in combination with ciprofloxacin was evaluated on uropathogens, namely, Klebsiella pneumoniae KT2, Proteus mirabilis PRT3 and Staphylococcus aureus ST2. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of P. graveolens essential oil and ciprofloxacin were determined by the microbroth dilution method and further, the interaction between these two agents was studied by a checkerboard method. The fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) was calculated to be 0.375 for both K. pneumoniae KT2 and P. mirabilis PRT3, while for S. aureus ST2 it was found to be 0.5. The values of FICI for the tested microorganisms were found to be ≤0.5, which indicates synergism between P. graveolens essential oil and ciprofloxacin. The concave shaped curve in the isobolograms also depicted a synergistic effect of P. graveolens essential oil and ciprofloxacin against the tested microorganisms. Hence, the synergistic action of P. graveolens essential oil and ciprofloxacin may be applied for the treatment of UTIs, which have hitherto been treated by using only synthetic drugs.     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of different samples of Thymus baeticus boiss

Gas chromatography was used to determine the chemical composition of the essential oil of female and hermaphrodite Thymus baeticus Boiss. collected in Ugijar (province of Granada, Spain). The results were compared with the chemical composition of other samples of the same species, collected in Lanjarón. These comparisons showed some qualitative differences, and more obvious quantitative differences, in the compositions of the essential oils. We also investigated the antimicrobial activity of all samples. This activity, although marked in all samples, was greater in essential oils containing larger amounts of geraniol.     

山东金银花挥发油化学成分的研究

 采用气相色谱－质谱法（ＧＣ／ＭＳ）对山东金银花主流品种大毛花挥发油的化学成分进行了研究。共分析鉴定了棕榈酸、二氢香苇醇、棕榈酸甲酯、廿四碳酸甲酯等５９种成分，占总油量的９６．５１％。并测定了各成分在挥发油中的百分含量。     

Cytostatic activity against HEp-2 cells and antibacterial activity of essential oil from Helichrysum picardii

Different samples of essential oil from Helichrysum picardii Boiss. & Reuter (Compositae) collected at the beginning of each season from the same locality have been tested for their cytostatic and antimicrobial activity. All the oil samples showed a stronger in vitro activity against HEp-2 cells than a 6-mercaptopurine solution used as a positive control. Gram-positive bacteria as well as the fungus Candida albicans were sensitive to the action of the essential oil, whereas none of the samples showed activity against the gram-negative bacteria.     

蒙药蓍草的显微鉴别研究

目的研究蒙药蓍草的生药鉴别特征。方法利用显微鉴别的方法对其茎、叶进行组织构造及粉末的鉴别。结果制订和建立了蓍草的显微特征标准。结论为蒙药蓍草的质量控制提供了部分实验依据。     

Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Hypericum rumeliacum subsp. apollinis (Boiss. & Heldr.)

The composition and the antimicrobial activity of the aerial parts of Hypericum rumeliacum are reported. Analysis was carried out by GC/MS. The major constituents were alpha-pinene (43.80%), beta-pinene (9.82%), dehydro-aromadendrene (6.81%) and alpha-copaene (5.41%). The essential oil showed a moderate in vitro activity against the six Gram negative and positive bacteria and a stronger one against the three-tested pathogenic activity.     

Essential oil composition of Piper guineense and its antimicrobial activity. Another chemotype from Nigeria

The analysis of the essential oil of Piper guineense from Nigeria presents a new chemotype of constituents different from earlier reports with the absence of the usual myristicin. Ishwarane, a common constituent of Aristolochia indica and Bixa orellana, was also isolated from the essential oil of the fruit. The essential oil inhibited the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa UCH 655 strain at 5 mg/mL on which standard antibiotic drugs were ineffective.     

芜菁根挥发油化学成分的气相色谱-质谱联用分析

目的 研究芜菁根挥发油化学成分.方法 采用同时蒸馏萃取(SDE)法提取挥发油,以气相色谱- 质谱联用(GC -MC)技术结合计算机检索对其化学成分进行分离和鉴定,用色谱峰面积归一化法计算各组分的相对含量.结果 从芜菁根挥发油中共鉴定出60种化合物,其含量占挥发油总量的98.36%.其中主要成分为丙酸异丙酯(30.04%)、辛烷(9.95%)、2-甲基庚烷(5.49%)、正壬烷(4.73%)、二甲基三硫醚(2.84%)、3-甲基庚烷(2.55%)、二甲基二硫醚(2.36%)等.结论 研究结果为进一步研究和开发利用芜菁奠定基础.     

Cytostatic activity of Achillea ageratum L.

The cytostatic activity of a chloroform extract and two isolated compounds from Achillea ageratum L. (Asteraceae) was determined in vitro against Hep-2 and McCoy cells. The chloroform extract exhibited a high degree of growth inhibition compared with the values obtained with the 6-mercaptopurine (positive control) against both cultures. Stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol, isolated from the chloroform extract, showed a high degree of growth inhibition.