Distillation Time as Tool for Improved Antimalarial Activity and Differential Oil Composition of Cumin Seed Oil

Antileishmanial Effects of Bunium Persicum Crude Extract, Essential Oil, and Cuminaldehyde on Leishmania Major: In Silico and In Vitro Properties

PURPOSE

Cuminaldehyde (CA), an oxidized aldehyde monoterpene, is a major essential oil component in cumin seeds, which has shown different promising medical effects. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the antileishmanial potential of Bunium persicum (Boiss) B. Fedtsch (Apiaceae) and one of its main essential oil constituents, CA, focus on the mechanisms of action.

METHODS

We used a molecular docking approach to examine the capability of CA for binding to IL-12P40 and TNF-α. The colorimetric assay was performed to assess the effect of B. persicum crude extract, essential oil, and CA, against Leishmania major promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. The expression of IFN-γ, IL-12P40, TNF-α, and IL-10 genes was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction qPCR.

RESULTS

Docking analyses in the current study indicated CA binds to IL-12P40 and TNF-α. These products were safe, extremely antileishmanial, and significantly promoted Th1-related cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-12P40, TNF-α), while downregulating the Th2 phenotype (IL-10).

CONCLUSION

Cumin essential oil and its major component, CA, possessed powerful antileishmanial activity. The primary mechanism of activity involves an immunomodulatory role toward Th1 cytokine response. Therefore, cumin essential oil and CA deserve further explorations as promising medications for treating leishmaniasis.

Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Medicinal Plants Used by the Tenggerese Society in Java Island of Indonesia

The archipelagic country of Indonesia is inhabited by 300 ethnic groups, including the indigenous people of Tengger. Based on the reported list of medicinal plants used by the Tengger community, we have reviewed each of them for their phytochemical constituents and pharmacological activities. Out of a total of 41 medicinal plants used by the Tengerrese people, 33 species were studied for their phytochemical and pharmacological properties. More than 554 phytochemicals with diverse molecular structures belonging to different chemical classes including flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins and volatiles were identified from these studied 34 medicinal plants. Many of these medicinal plants and their compounds have been tested for various pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, wound healing, headache, antimalarial and hypertension. Five popularly used medicinal plants by the healers were Garcinia mangostana, Apium graveolens, Cayratia clematidea, Drymocallis arguta and Elaeocarpus longifolius. Only A. graviolens were previously studied, with the outcomes supporting the pharmacological claims to treat hypertension. Few unexplored medicinal plants are Physalis lagascae, Piper amplum, Rosa tomentosa and Tagetes tenuifolia, and they present great potential for biodiscovery and drug lead identification.

Molecular insight into the interactions between starch and cuminaldehyde using relaxation and 2D solid-state NMR spectroscopy

The interaction between cuminaldehyde and starch mainly governed the effect of further handling on food applications of cuminaldehyde. However, little information is available about the interactions of these components. We utilized relaxation and heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) solid-state NMR spectroscopy to investigate the interaction between cuminaldehyde and porous starch at molecular level. We found that the interactions occurred mainly through hydrogen bonds. Cuminaldehyde molecules were restricted by starch, which resulted in the limitation of their movements and the longer ¹H T₁ relaxation time. Furthermore, the well resolved correlated peaks in 2D ¹H-¹³C HETCOR spectrum confirmed the formation of hydrogen bonds. The oxygen atoms at hydroxyl-2,3 of starch were the binding sites, which combined with hydrogens of cuminaldehyde. This present work not only afford a new approach to obtain a molecular understanding of interactions, but also expanded the application of solid-state NMR to investigation of the interaction on functional components.

Allelopathic Effects of Essential Oils on Seed Germination of Barley and Wheat

In this study, we evaluated the allelopathic effects of essential oils (EOs) from six different plant species, namely, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), English thyme (Thymus vulgaris), lovage (Levisticum officinale), costmary (Chrysanthemum balsamita), and cumin (Cuminum cyminum), on seed germination and seedling growth of barley (Hordeum vulgare) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). The main constituents of the EOs of L. angustifolia were 47.0% linalool acetate and 28.4% linalool; H. officinalis' main constituents were 39.8% cis-pinocamphone, 9.8% trans-pinocamphone, 11.4% β-pinene, and 7.5% β-phellandrene; T. vulgaris' were 38.2% para-cymene, 25.6% thymol, and 13.6% γ-terpinene; L. officinale's were 64.8% α-terpinyl acetate and 14.7% β-phellandrene; C. balsamita's were 43.7% camphor, 32.4% trans-thujone, and 11.6% camphene; C. cyminum's were 49.6% cumin aldehyde, 10.4% para-cymene, 11.6% α-terpinen-7-al, and 9.1% β-pinene. All six EOs exhibited an allelopathic effect and suppressed the seed germination and seedling development of wheat and barley; however, the concentrations that exhibited a suppressing effect were different among the plants. C. cyminum EO completely suppressed both barley and wheat germination at 10-, 30-, and 90-µL application rates, making it the most effective treatment among the tested EOs. C. balsamita's and H. officinalis' EOs at 30 and 90 µL application rates completely suppressed barley and wheat radicles per seed, radicle length (mm), seedling height (mm), and germination (%). L. angustifolia's EOs at 30- and 90-µL and T. vulgaris' EO at 90 µL application rates also completely suppressed barley and wheat radicles per seed, radicle length (mm), seedling height (mm), and germination (%). C. balsamita's, H. officinalis', L. angustifolia's, and T. vulgaris' EOs at a 10 µL application rate reduced barley radicle length, seedling height, and % germination relative to the control. Wheat seed germination % was completely suppressed by the application of L. angustifolia's and T. vulgaris' EOs at 30 and 90 µL, while T. vulgaris' EO at 10 µL rate reduced the germination relative to the control. Interestingly, C. balsamita and H. officinalis at 10 µL did not reduce wheat germination; however, they did reduce the number of radicles per seed, radicle length (mm), seedling height (mm), germination (%), and vigor index. Furthermore, L. officinale's EO reduced the measured indices (radicles per seed, radicle length, seedling height, and vigor index) at the 10, 30, and 90 µL application rates relative to the non-treated control; however, none of the application rates of L. officinale's EO had a suppression effect on wheat germination. This study demonstrated the allelopathic effects of the EOs of six different herbal plant species on seed germination of barley and winter wheat. The results can be utilized in the development of commercial products for controlling pre-harvest sprouting of wheat and barley. Further research is needed to verify the results under field conditions.

In vitro and in vivo antifungal activity of Cuminum cyminum essential oil against Aspergillus aculeatus causing bunch rot of postharvest grapes

Bunch rot in grapes is an aggressive disease and needs to be controlled during the postharvest period. We investigate the antifungal potential of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim., Zanthoxylum rhetsa, Cuminum cyminum, Coriandrum sativum, and Zingiber montanum (J. Koenig) Link ex A. Dietr. essential oils against Aspergillus aculeatus that cause bunch rot disease on postharvest grapes. C. cyminum essential oil exhibited stronger significantly inhibition percentage of 95.08% than other treatments in in vitro assay. Cumin aldehyde (33.94%) and α-terpinen-7-al (32.20%) were identified as major volatile compounds in C. cyminum oil. Antifungal potential of C. cyminum oil was then tested in conidia germination and in vitro tests compared to cumin aldehyde and α-terpinen-7-al. Their EC₅₀ values against the conidial germination were also estimated. Significant reduction of conidia germination was also detected in C. cyminum essential oil and cumin aldehyde at a concentration of 1,000 and 100 μg/mL, respectively. EC₅₀ values of the C. cyminum essential oil, cumin aldehyde, and α-terpinen-7-al were 67.28 μg/mL, 9.31 μg/mL, and 13.23 μg/mL, respectively. In vivo assay, the decrease of the disease severity (0.69%) and incidence (1.48%) percentage of A. aculeatus on grape berries treated at 1,000 μg/mL of C. cyminum essential oil was significantly greater than that obtained from other treatments after 10 days incubation. In addition, grape berries treated with C. cyminum essential oil decreased weight loss and retained fruit firmness. The changing of total soluble solids, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity are also delayed in treated fruits. Therefore, essential oil of C. cyminum may be applied as a biological antifungal agent to control A. aculeatus in postharvest grapes without any negative effects on its quality.

Utilization of Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.) Seed Hydrodistillation Time to Produce Essential Oil Fractions with Varied Compositions and Pharmacological Effects

The intent of this study was to utilize distillation timeframes (DT) of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) essential oil (EO) to generate fractions with differential chemical compositions and bioactivity. Ten fractions were captured at the following distillation timeframes: 0.0–0.5, 0.5–1.0, 1.0–2.5, 2.5–5.0, 5.0–10, 10–30, 30–60, 60–90, 90–120, and 120–240 min. In addition, a control EO was collected from a straight 0–240 min non-stop distillation. ANOVA and advanced regression modeling revealed that the produced EO fractions possess substantial variation in the concentration of potentially desired compounds. The concentrations (%) of α-phellandrene, 3-carene, p-cymene, limonene, α-thujene, α-pinene, camphene, sabinene, β-pinene, and myrcene decreased, while the concentrations (%) of α-terpinene, γ-terpinene, terpinolene, and myristicin increased in later DT fractions. Nutmeg EO showed some antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum D6, but did not exhibit significant antifungal activity. In general, nutmeg seed oil yields increased with an increase of DT. These results may be utilized by industries using nutmeg EO.

Therapeutic and Medicinal Uses of Terpenes

Terpenes, also known as terpenoids are the largest and most diverse group of naturally occurring compounds. Based on the number of isoprene units they have, they are classified as mono, di, tri, tetra, and sesquiterpenes. They are mostly found in plants and form the major constituent of essential oils from plants. Among the natural products that provide medical benefits for an organism, terpenes play a major and variety of roles. The common plant sources of terpenes are tea, thyme, cannabis, Spanish sage, and citrus fruits (e.g., lemon, orange, mandarin). Terpenes have a wide range of medicinal uses among which antiplasmodial activity is notable as its mechanism of action is similar to the popular antimalarial drug in use—chloroquine. Monoterpenes specifically are widely studied for their antiviral property. With growing incidents of cancer and diabetes in modern world, terpenes also have the potential to serve as anticancer and antidiabetic reagents. Along with these properties, terpenes also allow for flexibility in route of administration and suppression of side effects. Certain terpenes were widely used in natural folk medicine. One such terpene is curcumin which holds anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antiseptic, antiplasmodial, astringent, digestive, diuretic, and many other properties. Curcumin has also become a recent trend in healthy foods and open doors for several medical researches. This chapter summarizes the various terpenes, their sources, medicinal properties, mechanism of action, and the recent studies that are underway for designing terpenes as a lead molecule in the modern medicine.

Phytochemistry and antiplasmodial activity of Xylopia sericea leaves

Aiming to investigate the antiplasmodial activity and the phytochemical composition of Xylopia sericea leaves, the essential oil and dichloromethane extract were analyzed by gas and liquid chromatography, respectively, both of them coupled to mass spectrometry, and were evaluated against the chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain (W2) and for cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells. Low growth inhibition of P. falciparum as well as low cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells were observed for the essential oil. The leaves dichloromethane extract showed moderate growth inhibition of P. falciparum and low cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells. Bioguided chromatographic fractionation of this extract led to fractions with increased antiplasmodial activity from which liriodenine (IC₅₀ 6.1 ± 0.1 μg/mL, CC₅₀ > 1000.0 μg/mL, SI > 164), an aporphine alkaloid, and an acetogenin-rich fraction containing mainly isomers of annomontacin and 4-deoxy-annomontacin (IC₅₀ 22.7 ± 1.9 µg/mL, CC₅₀ 336.1 ± 15.5 µg/mL, SI = 15) might be highlighted for their antiplasmodial activity.

Sequential Elution of Essential Oil Constituents during Steam Distillation of Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) and Influence on Oil Yield and Antimicrobial Activity

The profile and bioactivity of hops (Humulus lupulus L.) essential oil, a complex natural product extracted from cones via steam distillation, depends on genetic and environmental factors, and may also depend on extraction process. We hypothesized that compound mixtures eluted sequentially and captured at different timeframes during the steam distillation process of whole hop cones would have differential chemical and bioactivity profiles. The essential oil was collected sequentially at 8 distillation time (DT) intervals: 0-2, 2-5, 5-10, 10-30, 30-60, 60-120, 120-180, and 180-240 min. The control was a 4-h non-interrupted distillation. Nonlinear regression models described the DT and essential oil compounds relationship. Fractions yielded 0.035 to 0.313% essential oil, while control yielded 1.47%. The oil eluted during the first hour was 83.2%, 9.6% during the second hour, and only 7.2% during the second half of the distillation. Essential oil (EO) fractions had different chemical profile. Monoterpenes were eluted early, while sequiterpenes were eluted late. Myrcene and linalool were the highest in 0-2 min fraction, β-caryophyllene, β-copaene, β-farnesene, and α-humulene were highest in fractions from middle of distillation, whereas α- bergamotene, γ-muurolene, β- and α-selinene, γ- and δ-cadinene, caryophyllene oxide, humulne epoxide II, τ-cadinol, and 6-pentadecen-2-one were highest in 120-180 or 180-240 min fractions. The Gram-negative Escherichia coli was strongly inhibited by essential oil fractions from 2-5 min and 10-30 min, followed by oil fraction from 0-2 min. The strongest inhibition activity against Gram-negative Yersinia enterocolitica, and Gram-positive Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus subs. aureus was observed with the control essential oil. This is the first study to describe significant activity of hops essential oils against Trypanosoma brucei, a parasitic protozoan that causes African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in other animals). Hops essential oil fractions or whole oil may be used as antimicrobial agents or for the development of new drugs.

Yield, Composition and Antioxidant Capacity of the Essential Oil of Sweet Basil and Holy Basil as Influenced by Distillation Methods

The profile and bioactivity of essential oil (EO) depends on genetic, environmental, and other factors. We hypothesized that the basil EO may be influenced by the distillation methods. Hence, a study was conducted to evaluate the effect of steam distillation (SD) and hydrodistillation (HD) extraction method on the yield, composition, and bioactivity of EO of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) and holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum). In both basil species, the EO yield (content) was significantly higher from SD than from HD. There were significant differences in the compounds' concentrations of EO obtained from SD and HD as well, however, the same compounds were identified in the EO from HD and SD. In the EO of O. basilicum, the concentration of 74% of the identified compounds were higher in SD than HD, whereas in the EO of O. tenuiflorum, the concentration of 84% of identified compounds were higher in SD than in HD. However, the concentrations of two of the major compounds of O. basilicum EO (estragole and methyl cinnamate) and a major compound of O. tenuiflorum EO (methyl eugenol) were significantly higher in HD than in SD. The type of distillation did not affect the antioxidant capacity of basil EO within the species. This study demonstrated that the type of distillation may significantly affect oil yield and composition but not the antioxidant capacity of the EO from sweet and holy basil.

Ionic liquids, ultra-sounds and microwaves: an effective combination for a sustainable extraction with higher yields. The cumin essential oil case

This paper deals with the concept of process intensification applied to the extraction of essential oil (EO).