The ethnobotany, phytochemistry and biological properties of genus Ferulago - A review.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The genus Ferulago, belonging to the Apiaceae family, is found mainly in the Mediterranean area, Southwest and Middle Asia, the Caucasus and North Africa. Since ancient times, species of this genus have been largely employed in traditional medicine for their biological properties such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, insecticidal, and anti-malaria, cholinesterase inhibition effects, etc. AIMS: The scope of this paper is to present a comprehensive respect review of this interesting genus including traditional uses, chemical composition of volatile and non-volatile metabolites, and in vitro and in vivo biological properties either utilizing the crude extracts or essential oils, or the single isolated compounds.

In Vitro Modulation of P-Glycoprotein Activity by Essential Oil on Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Line HL-60R.

species have a large spectrum of traditional medicinal uses. We tested the biological activities of the essential oil (EO) of Drake in an acquired multidrug resistance leukemia model to assess whether the EO obtained by hydrodistillation of stems was able to reverse the resistant phenotype. HL-60R cell lines are characterized by the overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) and constitutive expression of NF-κB.

The Essential Oil Compositions of Three Taxa Growing Wild in Sicily: HCA and PCA Analyses.

The chemical composition and the qualitative and quantitative variability of the essential oils of three taxa belonging to the genus were studied. The investigated taxa, that grow wild in Sicily, were L. (section (Mill.

A Review of the Phytochemistry, Traditional Uses and Biological Activities of the Essential Oils of Genus Teucrium.

The genus is a large and polymorphic genus of the Lamiaceae family distributed in mild climate zones, particularly in the Mediterranean basin and Central Asia. Studies of nonvolatile constituents of species showed that they are a rich source of -clerodane diterpenoids, considered as chemotaxonomic markers of the genus. In addition to the nonvolatile metabolites, there has been a large interest in the essential oils of this genus.

Subsp. (Guss.) Troia & Raimondo from Sicily (Italy): Isolation of Essential Oil and Evaluation of Its Bioactivity.

(L.) Boiss. (Apiaceae) is a species occurring in the Balkan-Tyrrhenian area.

Solid state 13C-NMR methodology for the cellulose composition studies of the shells of Prunus dulcis and their derived cellulosic materials.

Lignocellulosic fibers and microcellulose have been obtained by simple alkaline treatment from softwood almond shells. In particular, the Prunus dulcis Miller (D.A.

Phytochemical profile and insecticidal activity of (Asparagaceae) against adults of (Anobiidae).

Chemical and spectroscopic investigation of the bulbs of resulted in the isolation of one known flavonol (), never isolated from this plant species, and of three previously described steroidal saponins (), but whose configuration at their stereogenic centres was not clearly determined. By mean of H NMR, C NMR, nuclear overhauser effects (NOE) and two-dimensional NMR spectra the full stereochemical structures of compounds were proved and all the H and C signals were assigned. Furthermore, the methanol and butanol extracts of were tested against adults of beetles.

Essential oil compositions of , subsp. and growing in Sicily and Malta.

In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oils from the aerial parts of L. collected in Sicily and Malta, subsp. (Schreb.

Functional investigation and applications of the acetylesterase activity of the (L.) Osbeck peel.

The hydrolysis of acetyl moieties on a set of commercially relevant substrates was performed by employing the whole tissue of (L.) Osbeck peel as an efficient biocatalyst in mild reaction conditions with high degree of regioselectivity. The reaction is done in aqueous media and the product is easily recovered.

(A. St.-Hil.) Seeds Oil: Fatty Acids Profiling by GC-MS and NMR and Bioactivity.

This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analyses, the antioxidant activities evaluated by different in vitro assays namely 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), Ferric Reducing Ability Power (FRAP), and β-carotene bleaching tests, and the inhibitory effects of enzymes linked to obesity (lipase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase) of fixed seed oil of (A. St.-Hil.

The Essential Oil of and its Application as A Biocide on Stone and Derived Surfaces.

Many chemicals used nowadays for the preservation of cultural heritage pose a risk to both human health and the environment. Thus, it is desirable to find new and eco-friendly biocides that can replace the synthetic ones. In this regard, plant essential oils represent effective alternatives to synthetic substances for the preservation of historical monuments.

Essential Oil Composition of and in Vitro Biological Activity on Two Drug-Resistant Models.

Drug resistance is a major obstacle in antibiotic and antitumor chemotherapy. In response to the necessity to find new therapeutic strategies, plant secondary metabolites including essential oils (EOs) may represent one of the best sources. EOs in plants act as constitutive defenses against biotic and abiotic stress, and they play an important role in the pharmacology for their low toxicity, good pharmacokinetic and multitarget activity.

Hand-made paper obtained by green procedure of cladode waste of (L.) Mill. from Sicily.

Cellulosic fibres have been obtained by green procedures from the cladodes of (L.) Mill., constituting a large agro industrial waste in our territory.

A Review of the Phytochemistry, Traditional Uses, and Biological Activities of the Genus Ballota and Otostegia.

The 2 genera and , belonging to the Lamiaceae family, are closely related taxonomically and found mainly in the Mediterranean area, Middle East, and North Africa. Since ancient times, they have been largely employed in traditional medicine for their biological properties such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, insecticidal, anti-malaria, etc. Phytochemical investigations of and species have revealed that diterpenoids are the main constituents of the genera.

Cytotoxicity of oleanolic and ursolic acid derivatives toward hepatocellular carcinoma and evaluation of NF-κB involvement.

Oleanolic and ursolic acids are two ubiquitous isomeric triterpene phytochemicals known for their anticancer activity. A set of derivatives of the two compounds with a modified oxidation state and lipophylicity at C-3 and C-28 positions, were prepared and tested as anticancer agents versus the lines HepG2, Hep3B and HA22T/VGH of hepatocarcinoma, a strongly aggressive tumor that is not responsive toward the standard therapies. New derivatives containing a three carbons side chain on the C-3 position were synthetized in both stereoisomeric forms by the Barbier-Grignard procedure and three of them were found to be active toward all of the three targets.

Fixed oil from seeds of narrow-leaved ash (F. angustifolia subsp. angustifolia): Chemical profile, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities.

Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. angustifolia is a plant with an age-old use for the production of manna. However, it is also a valuable source of fixed oil rich-seeds.

Phytochemical investigation of the needles of (Lojac.) Mattei.

(Lojac.) Mattei (Pinaceae) is a species living in a very small population only in a confined area of Sicily. In this study, the dichloromethane extract of the leaves was analyzed.

Synthesis of Rosmarinic Acid Amides as Antioxidative and Hypoglycemic Agents.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an important metabolic disorder for which there is an urgent need for new antidiabetic drugs. α-Glucosidase inhibition is an established protocol for T2DM therapy. Because hyperglycemia causes oxidative tissue damage, the development of agents with both α-glucosidase inhibition and antioxidant activity from natural or natural-derived polyphenols such derivatives of rosmarinic acid (RA) represents an attractive therapeutic option.

Floral scent in a sexually deceptive Ophrys orchid: from headspace collections to solvent extractions.

Sexually deceptive orchid flowers use visual, tactile and olfactory cues of female insects in order to attract males of one or a few closely related species as pollinators. Ophrys L. is the most species-rich genus of sexually deceptive orchids in the Mediterranean Basin.

Floral scent in Iris planifolia (Iridaceae) suggests food reward.

Iris species can adopt different pollination strategies to attract their pollinators, generalized shelter-mimicking, specialized deceptive sexual-mimicking or food-rewarding. As attractive stimuli, Iris flowers may use their colours, large-size, symmetry, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, relatively few studies investigated Iris floral olfactory cues in the context of plant-visitor/pollinator interactions.

Bioactive Constituents of Juniperus turbinata Guss. from La Maddalena Archipelago.

A comprehensive phytochemical study of Juniperus turbinata (Cupressaceae) collected from La Maddalena Archipelago (Sardinia, Italy) is reported. Both the essential oil and the ethanolic extract obtained from the aerial parts were analyzed. The essential oil appears to belong to a new chemotype compared to other Mediterranean juniper accessions, as it was favored by geographic isolation of the isles.

Chemical composition, in vitro antitumor and pro-oxidant activities of Glandora rosmarinifolia (Boraginaceae) essential oil.

The biological properties of essential oils have been demonstrated in the treatment of several diseases and to enhance the bioavailability of other drugs. In natural habitats the essential oils compounds may play important roles in the protection of the plants as antibacterials, antivirals, antifungals, insecticides and also against herbivores by reducing their appetite for such plants or by repelling undesirable others. We analyzed by gas-chromatography mass spectrometry the chemical composition of the essential oil of aerial parts of Glandora rosmarinifolia (Ten.

Composition of essential oil of lemon thyme (Thymus × citriodorus) at different hydrodistillation times.

Distillation time can both to optimise the production and to engineer the composition of essential oil in essential oil bearing plants. Purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of duration of hydrodistillation on composition of essential oil of Thymus × citriodorus, the natural source of commercially important geraniol and citral, a component with valuable biological properties. Essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation at different distillation times and analysed by GC/MS analytical methods.

Chemodiversity of the Essential Oil from Leaves of Abies nebrodensis (Lojac.) Mattei.

Abies nebrodensis (Lojac.) Mattei (Pinaceae) is a species occurring in a very small population only in a restricted area of Sicily. Its taxonomic classification as different species has been object of discussion.

Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oil from Flowers of Eryngium triquetrum (Apiaceae) Collected Wild in Sicily.

The chemical composition of the essential oil from flowers of Eringiun triquetrum Vahl. collected in Sicily was evaluated by GC and GC-MS. The main components were pulegone (50.