Use of Natural Polymers for the Encapsulation of Eugenol by Spray Drying.

Eugenol is a colourless or yellowish compound whose presence in clove essential oil surpasses the 75% of its composition. This phenylpropanoid, widely used as an antiseptic, anaesthetic and antioxidant, can be extracted by steam distillation from the dried flower buds of (L.).

Comprehensive HPTLC fingerprinting as a tool for a simplified analysis of purity of ginkgo products.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Herbal medicinal products based on ginkgo leaf refined dry extract (GBE) are an European development from the Eastern Asia traditionally used species Ginkgo biloba L. Nowadays, ginkgo products have increased the presence in the market, mainly as dietary supplements. Its adulteration with rutin and quercetin or herbal extracts rich in these compounds is a common practice.

Ethnopharmacological and Chemical Characterization of Species Used in Valencian Traditional Herbal Preparations.

In Valencia Region (Spain), some wild and cultivated sages are used for medicinal purposes. Among them, subsp. (SL) is widely employed and known for production of Spanish sage oil and herbal products.

Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Essential Oils from Different Species of Piper from Panama.

The chemical composition of leaf essential oils from 11 species of Piper from Panama was analyzed by a combination GC-FID and GC-MS procedures. Six of them had sesquiterpene hydrocarbons as major constituents, three were characterized by monoterpene hydrocarbons, one by a diterpene, and one by a phenylpropanoid, dillapiole. The main components identified in each species were: cembratrienol (25.

Biological and Nonbiological Antioxidant Activity of Some Essential Oils.

Fifteen essential oils, four essential oil fractions, and three pure compounds (thymol, carvacrol, and eugenol), characterized by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, were investigated for biological and nonbiological antioxidant activity. Clove oil and eugenol showed strong DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free-radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 13.2 μg/mL and 11.

Effect of some essential oils on phagocytosis and complement system activity.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro activity of 15 essential oils, 4 essential oil fractions, and 3 pure compounds (thymol, carvacrol, and eugenol) on phagocytosis by human neutrophils and on complement system. Samples were characterized by GC and GC-MS. Most of the oils (nutmeg, clove, niaouli, tea tree, bay laurel, lemon, red thyme, ginger), nutmeg terpenes, eugenol, and carvacrol showed mild to moderate inhibition of phagocytosis (25-40% inhibition at doses ranging from 40 to 60 μg/mL); highest inhibitory activity was found for thymol (72% at 56 μg/mL), whereas the mixture of bornyl and isobornyl acetates showed a mild stimulating activity (21% at 56 μg/mL).

Antioxidant activity of Tween-20 and Tween-80 evaluated through different in-vitro tests.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the possible antioxidant activity of Tween-20 and Tween-80, two amphipathic nonionic surfactants commonly used as solubilizers and stabilizers, whose pharmacological effects have been ignored to a large degree.

Methods: Antioxidant activity was investigated in vitro measuring the scavenging activity on the stable free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH(●) ), the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in activated human neutrophils using flow cytometry and the myeloperoxidase (MPO) inhibitory activity.

Key Findings: Tween-20 and Tween-80 did not show scavenging activity on DPPH(●) , while produced a decrease of the ROS production in human neutrophils, being Tween-20 more active than Tween-80.

Antifungal compounds from the rhizome and roots of Ferula hermonis.

The antifungal activity of hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and aqueous extracts from the rhizome and root of Ferula hermonis was assayed in vitro by the agar disk diffusion method against a panel of human opportunistic and pathogenic fungi. Among them, the hexane and dichloromethane extracts showed the highest activity particularly against the dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum and Tricophyton mentagrophytes as well as the yeast Candida lactis-condensi. Activity-guided fractionation of both extracts using an agar overlay bioautographic method led to the isolation of two antifungal compounds which were identified as the daucane aryl esters jaeschkeanadiol p-hydroxybenzoate (ferutinin) and jaeschkeanadiol benzoate (teferidin).

Composition and antifungal activity of the essential oil from the rhizome and roots of Ferula hermonis.

The analysis of the essential oil from rhizome and roots of Ferula hermonis Boiss. (Apiaceae) by GC-FID, GC-MS and ¹³C NMR allowed the identification of 79 constituents, more than 90% of the oil, the major one being α-pinene (43.3%), followed by α-bisabolol (11.

Psilostachyin C: a natural compound with trypanocidal activity.

In this study, the antiprotozoal activity of the sesquiterpene lactone psilostachyin C was investigated. This natural compound was isolated from Ambrosia scabra by bioassay-guided fractionation and was identified by spectroscopic techniques. Psilostachyin C exerted in vitro trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes, trypomastigotes and amastigotes, with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) values of 0.

Composition and biological activity of the essential oil from leaves of Plinia cerrocampanensis, a new source of alpha-bisabolol.

The essential oil from fresh leaves of Plinia cerrocampanensis Barrie (Myrtaceae), obtained by hydrodistillation, was analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Forty components, representing more than 91% of the oil, were identified. Oxygenated sesquiterpenes represented the main fraction with alpha-bisabolol (42.

Composition and biological activity of essential oils from Protium confusum.

The composition and biological activity of the essential oils from leaves, fruits, stems and bark of Protium confusum are reported for the first time. Forty-six to sixty-three constituents were identified ranging from 73.8% to 98.

Trypanocidal and leishmanicidal activities of sesquiterpene lactones from Ambrosia tenuifolia Sprengel (Asteraceae).

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the organic extract of Ambrosia tenuifolia Sprengel (Asteraceae) led to the isolation of two bioactive sesquiterpene lactones with significant trypanocidal and leishmanicidal activities. By spectroscopic methods ((1)H- and (13)C-nuclear magnetic resonance, distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer, correlated spectroscopy, heteronuclear multiple-quantum coherence, electron impact-mass spectrometry, and infrared spectroscopy), these compounds were identified as psilostachyin and peruvin. Both compounds showed a marked in vitro trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) values of less than 2 microg/ml.

Application of multidimensional gas chromatography to the enantioselective characterisation of the essential oil of Eupatorium buniifolium Hooker et Arnott.

The qualitative and quantitative composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Eupatorium buniifolium Hooker et Arnott (Asteraceae) has been investigated for the first time. The essential oils were obtained by steam distillation of leaves and analysed by GC-MS; 44 components were identified. Monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, especially alpha-pinene (14.

Antifungal sesquiterpene from the root of Vernonanthura tweedieana.

The bioassay-guided fractionation of the antifungal dichloromethane extract from the roots of Vernonanthura tweedieana (Baker) H. Rob. (Asteraceae), using an agar overlay bioautographic method, allowed the isolation of one active sesquiterpene (1), identified as 6-cinnamoyloxy-1-hydroxyeudesm-4-en-3-one.

Immunomodulatory activity and chemical characterisation of sangre de drago (dragon's blood) from Croton lechleri.

The immunomodulatory activity of the latex from Croton lechleri (sangre de drago) was determined by in vitro assays. Classical (CP) and alternative (AP) complement pathways activities were determined in human serum. Intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and monocytes, and phagocytosis of opsonised fluorescent microspheres were measured by flow cytometry.

Characterization of a fucoarabinogalactan, the main polysaccharide from the gum exudate of Croton urucurana.

A fucoarabinogalactan (CU-1), the main component of the gum exudate of the medicinal plant Croton urucurana, has been isolated by precipitation and subsequent dialysis and finally purified by ion-exchange chromatography. The estimated average molecular weight of CU-1 by gel permeation chromatography was approximately 2.48 x 10(6) Da.

Composition and antifungal activity of the essential oil of Solidago chilensis.

Volatile constituents of the essential oils from leaves and inflorescences of Solidago chilensis Meyen were analyzed by GC-FID, GC-MS and 13C-NMR and thirty-six different compounds were identified. Pumiloxide, an unusual labdane diterpene, was found to be one of the major components in both oils (15.3 % and 12.