Bactericidal and Fungicidal Activity of Methanolic Extracts of Heracleum persicum Desf. ex Fischer against Some Aquatic and Terrestrial Animal Pathogens

Anti-Inflammatory Compounds From Roots of Heracleum sphondylium subsp. cyclocarpum

Heracleum sphondylium subsp. cyclocarpum (K. Koch) P.H. Davis from Heracleum L. genus, which is one of the widest genera of the Apiaceae family and known as "Hogweed or Tavşancılotu". This genus has a variety of traditional uses, including treating gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, gynecological, and cognitive disorders, skin problems, rheumatism, and inflammation. In particular, these plants are commonly used for inflammatory diseases. This research aimed to examine in detail the anti-inflammatory properties of Heracleum sphondylium subsp. cyclocarpum roots. Bioactivity-guided fractionation was used to isolate the active compounds. Carrageenan- and prostaglandin E2-induced inflammation models were employed to test the activity. Dichloromethane and methanolic extracts of the plant material were tested for activity and found to be effective in inhibiting inflammation. The subfractions obtained by column chromatography were further evaluated for their activities. The active fractions were used to obtain responsible compounds by using semipreparative HPLC. Five coumarin derivatives were isolated and identified as heraclenol (1), byakangelicin (2), heraclenol-3″-O-β-glucoside (3), byakangelicin-3″-O-β-glucoside (4), and meranzin hydrate III (5). The isolated compounds were investigated for their anti-inflammatory activities, and heraclenol-3″-O-β-glucoside was found to inhibit the carrageenan and prostaglandin E2-induced edema significantly compared to the control group and have higher activity than the extracts.

Phytochemical and biological activities of some Iranian medicinal plants

CONTEXT

Due to adverse effects of synthetic compounds, there is a growing interest in utilization of plant-derived natural products in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Iranian endemic medicinal plants widely used in traditional practice have attracted much attention as antibacterial and antioxidant agents.

OBJECTIVE

This review attempts to compile the accessible scientific research pertained to phytochemical compounds, antibacterial and antioxidant effects of essential oils obtained from some of the most widely used and distributed medicinal plants in Iran.

METHODS

This review has been compiled using references via reliable databases (Google Scholar, SID and Science Direct) from 2010 to 2020. This literature review was limited to references published in English and Persian languages.

RESULTS

Based on studies heretofore carried out, essential oils isolated from mentioned medicinal plants exhibited strong antioxidant activity which is attributed to their main phytochemical compounds; thymol, carvacrol, p-cymene and γ-terpinene. In addition, the antibacterial activities of essential oils of most plant species from Apiaceae and Asteraceae families were more susceptible against Gram-positive bacteria; Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus than Gram-negative bacteria; however, essential oils of other studied plant species manifested similar behaviours against both Gram-positive and -negative bacteria.

CONCLUSIONS

As there is rich ethnobotanical knowledge behind Iranian endemic medicinal plants, further scientific research is required to prove their safety and efficacy. This review revealed that there are numerous valuable medicinal plants adoptable in food and pharmaceutical industries in the near future.

Chemical composition and antifungal activity of the essential oil of Zhumeria majdae, Heracleum persicum and Eucalyptus sp. against some important phytopathogenic fungi

Application of essential oils of medicinal plants is considered a safe and acceptable method for plant disease management to protect plants from pathogenic microorganisms. Thus, in recent study, essential oils (EOs) from Zhumeria majdae, Heracleum persicum (two Iranian endemic plants) and Eucalyptus sp. were assayed for their antifungal potential against ten phytopathogenic fungi, including Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium asiaticum, Fusarium redolens f.sp. dianthus, Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lentis, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus tubingensis, Botrytis cinerea and Cladosporium cladosporioides. Chemical composition of these oils was identified by GC-MS analysis. Based on our results, Z. majdae essential oil exhibited the best antifungal activity among tested essential oils, completely inhibiting growth of five fungal species. EOs of Eucalyptus sp. and H. persicum showed moderate and poor antifungal capacity, respectively. GC-MS analysis demonstrated that linalool and camphor were the main components of the essential oils of Z. majdae; furthermore, 1,8-cineole and hexyl ester formed the major portions of Eucalyptus sp. and H. persicum EOs. Due to the significant inhibition of some EOs, additional research about their use for control of plant diseases caused by these fungi is recommended.