Chemical composition and potentiation of insecticidal and fungicidal activities of Citrus trifoliata L. fruits essential oil against Spodoptera littoralis, Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani via nano-cubosomes

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of essential oils for the control of Fusarium oxysporum in cherry tomato seeds

Fusarium oxysporum is the causal agent of Fusarium wilt in tomato plants. The most common form of control of this disease is through seed chemical treatment. However, the present work presents an alternative method, through the fumigation technique with essential oils. The pathogen F. oxysporum was inoculated on organic cherry tomato seeds through contact with sporulated Petri® plates. Thereafter, seeds were placed in stainless steel crucibles containing a 1.0 x 1.0 cm filter paper adhered to the lid and kept for 24 hours. This paper received 20 µL of each essential oil: tea tree, chia, citronella, lavender, anise basil, clove basil, and deionized water as control. This process was called "seed fumigation by essential oil". After this process, a germination test was carried out in germ boxes with Germitest® paper to verify the variables Germination Speed Index (GSI), Germination (G%), and Mean time to germination (MGT). Mycelial growth was verified in Petri® plates containing PDA medium. The plates containing mycelial growth were observed through scanning electron microscopy to verify possible morphological damage in the hyphae of the pathogen. Tea tree essential oil was the one that allowed the greatest suppression of the phytopathogen. Therefore, new tests were carried out with this specific oil. In germ boxes, tests of germination (G%), Abnormal seedlings count (ASC), and percentage of seedlings with mycelial growth were carried out. In addition, plant elicitation tests were performed in tomato seedlings through the analysis of chitinase, glucanase, and total proteins. All tests were carried out in completely randomized designs with four replications. All data were submitted to the Lilliefors normality test, followed by the analysis of variance, and Tukey's HSD (5% significance) for mean comparison. It was found that tea tree essential oil inhibited the mycelial growth of F. oxysporum without affecting the germination of cherry tomato seeds. Subsequent tests with this oil also demonstrated that there is a reduction in mycelia present in the seeds and a reduction in abnormal seedlings compared to the control. There was no significant difference between the variables tested for plant elicitation.

A Comparative GC/MS Analysis of Citrus Essential Oils: Unveiling the Potential Benefits of Herb-Drug Interactions in Preventing Paracetamol-Induced Hepatotoxicity

Our study aimed to test the potential of Citrus oils in protecting against paracetamol (PAR)-induced hepatotoxicity. The essential oils of Pineapple sweet orange (OO), Murcott mandarin (MO), Red grapefruit (GO), and Oval kumquat (KO) were investigated using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Twenty-seven compounds were identified, with monoterpene hydrocarbons being abundant class. d-Limonene had the highest percentage (92.98 %, 92.82 %, 89.75 %, and 94.46 % in OO, MO, GO, and KO, respectively). Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal components analysis (PCA) revealed that octanal, linalool, germacrene D, and d-limonene were the principal discriminatory metabolites that segregated the samples into three distinct clusters. In vitro antioxidant capacities were ranged from 1.2-12.27, 1.79-5.91, and 235.05-585.28 μM Trolox eq/mg oil for 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic (ABTS), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), respectively. In vivo, citrus oils exhibited a significant reduction in alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and nitric oxide (NO). Additionally, there was an increase in glutathione reductase (GSH), and the liver architecture was nearly normal. Molecular docking revealed that d-limonene exhibited a good inhibitory interaction with cytochrome P450 (CYP450) isoforms 1A2, 3A4, and 2E1, with binding energies of -6.17, -4.51, and -5.61 kcal/mol, respectively.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Anti-Bacterial, and Anti-Cancer Activities of Essential Oils Extracted from Citrus limetta Risso Peel Waste Remains after Commercial Use

Citrus plants are widely utilized for edible purposes and medicinal utility throughout the world. However, because of the higher abundance of the antimicrobial compound D-Limonene, the peel waste cannot be disposed of by biogas production. Therefore, after the extraction of D-Limonene from the peel wastes, it can be easily disposed of. The D-Limonene rich essential oil from the Citrus limetta risso (CLEO) was extracted and evaluated its radical quenching, bactericidal, and cytotoxic properties. The radical quenching properties were DPPH radical scavenging (11.35 ± 0.51 µg/mL) and ABTS scavenging (10.36 ± 0.55 µg/mL). There, we observed a dose-dependent antibacterial potential for the essential oil against pathogenic bacteria. Apart from that, the essential oil also inhibited the biofilm-forming properties of E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. enterica, and S. aureus. Further, cytotoxicity was also exhibited against estrogen receptor-positive (MCF7) cells (IC₅₀: 47.31 ± 3.11 µg/mL) and a triple-negative (MDA-MB-237) cell (IC₅₀: 55.11 ± 4.62 µg/mL). Upon evaluation of the mechanism of action, the toxicity was mediated through an increased level of reactive radicals of oxygen and the subsequent release of cytochrome C, indicative of mitotoxicity. Hence, the D-Limonene rich essential oil of C. limetta is useful as a strong antibacterial and cytotoxic agent; the antioxidant properties exhibited also increase its utility value.

Bioactive Loaded Novel Nano-Formulations for Targeted Drug Delivery and Their Therapeutic Potential

Plant-based medicines have received a lot of attention in recent years. Such medicines have been employed to treat medical conditions since ancient times, and in those times only the observed symptoms were used to determine dose accuracy, dose efficacy, and therapy. Rather than novel formulations, the current research work on plant-based medicines has mostly concentrated on medicinal active phytoconstituents. In the past recent decades, however, researchers have made significant progress in developing "new drug delivery systems" (NDDS) to enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce unwanted effects of bioactive compounds. Nanocapsules, polymer micelles, liposomes, nanogels, phytosomes, nano-emulsions, transferosomes, microspheres, ethosomes, injectable hydrogels, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, and other innovative therapeutic formulations have all been created using bioactive compounds and plant extracts. The novel formulations can improve solubility, therapeutic efficacy, bioavailability, stability, tissue distribution, protection from physical and chemical damage, and prolonged and targeted administration, to name a few. The current study summarizes existing research and the development of new formulations, with a focus on herbal bioactive components.

Hexosomal Dispersion: A Nano-Based Approach to Boost the Antifungal Potential of Citrus Essential Oils against Plant Fungal Pathogens

The demand for natural fungicides to replace synthetic ones has surged since toxic residues persist in soils, causing environmental contamination and posing a serious threat to worldwide public health. In the context of crop protection and enhancing the efficiency and safety of fungicides, nanotechnology is an eco-friendly strategy in managing fungal pathogens. In the present study, essential oils were isolated from the peels of four citrus fruits (Citrus lemon, Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus maxima, and Citrus sinensis) and were investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis. Monoterpene hydrocarbon was the most predominant group and limonene was the most abundant in the four oils. The antifungal potential of the oils was investigated, and the most active oil (Citrus lemon) was loaded into hexosomal dispersion, and its antifungal potential was retested against the same fungi. The structurally unique nano-based formulation showed great potency for fungal control. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time the oil of Citrus lemon in nano-hexosomes has been formulated and its fungicidal activity examined. The data collected suggest that citrus essential oils (CEOs), especially when nano-formulated, could be successfully used in integrated fungus management programs.

Antifungal Evaluation and Molecular Docking Studies of Olea europaea Leaf Extract, Thymus vulgaris and Boswellia carteri Essential Oil as Prospective Fungal Inhibitor Candidates

Background: The present study investigated the antifungal activity and mode of action of four Olea europaea leaf extracts, Thymus vulgaris essential oil (EO), and Boswellia carteri EO against Fusarium oxysporum. Methods:Fusarium oxysporum lactucae was detected with the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The chemical compositions of chloroform and dichloromethane extracts of O. europaea leaves and T. vulgaris EO were analyzed using GC-MS analysis. In addition, a molecular docking analysis was used to identify the expected ligands of these extracts against eleven F. oxysporum proteins. Results: The nucleotide sequence of the F. oxysporum lactucae isolate was deposited in GenBank with Accession No. MT249304.1. The T. vulgaris EO, chloroform, dichloromethane and ethanol efficiently inhibited the growth at concentrations of 75.5 and 37.75 mg/mL, whereas ethyl acetate, and B. carteri EO did not exhibit antifungal activity. The GC-MS analysis revealed that the major and most vital compounds of the T. vulgaris EO, chloroform, and dichloromethane were thymol, carvacrol, tetratriacontane, and palmitic acid. Moreover, molecular modeling revealed the activity of these compounds against F. oxysporum. Conclusions: Chloroform, dichloromethane and ethanol, olive leaf extract, and T. vulgaris EO showed a strong effect against F. oxysporum. Consequently, this represents an appropriate natural source of biological compounds for use in healthcare. In addition, homology modeling and docking analysis are the best analyses for clarifying the mechanisms of antifungal activity.

Cosmosporasides F-H, three new sugar alcohol conjugated acyclic sesquiterpenes from a Fusarium oxysporum fungus

Three new sugar alcohol conjugated acyclic sesquiterpenes, cosmosporasides F-H (1-3), were isolated from the fermented cultures of Fusarium oxysporum SC0002. Their structures were elucidated by extensive analysis of spectroscopic data, including ¹H-¹³C long-range coupling constants (J_C,H). Their antibacterial, cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated.

Chemical Composition, Antifungal and Insecticidal Activities of the Essential Oils from Tunisian Clinopodium Nepeta Subsp. nepeta and Clinopodium Nepeta Subsp. Glandulosum

The present investigation was focused on the study of the chemical composition variability and biological activities of the essential oils from Clinopodium nepeta subsp. nepeta and subsp. glandulosum. Essential oils extraction was performed using hydrodistillation and the separation of the constituents was carried out by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antifungal activities were tested against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus terreus, Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Candida albicans. Toxicity and repellency were evaluated against the stored product pests Tribolium confusum and Sitophilus zeamais. Both essential oils were characterized by a high content of oxygenated monoterpenes. Piperitone ranks first in the subspecies nepeta and piperitenone oxide is the dominant constituent in the subspecies glandulosum. All tested samples displayed noteworthy antifungal properties, with the highest activity observed for the essential oil of C. nepeta subsp. glandulosum, collected in Béni-M'tir, against T. mentagrophytes (MIC = 40 µg/mL). The essential oil samples of C. nepeta subsp. glandulosum were strongly repellent to the insect species (PR > 80%, after 2h) and highly toxic to S. zeamais reaching 97.5%-100% mortality after 24 h of exposure. In conclusion, this study showed considerable intra-specific changes in the quality of C. nepeta essential oils, which is reflected in different rates of antifungal and insecticidal activity.