Nutritional Value and in vitro Antigiardial Activity of Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) Seeds.

The present study focused on evaluating the proximate analysis, mineral composition, and in vitro anti-giardial activity of Pimpinella anisum seed extracts, which are aromatic plants with a long history of usage in folk and conventional medicine, as well as pharmaceutical manufacturing. Standard methods were used to determine the proximate analysis of the powdered plant sample, including dry matter, ash, fat, protein, fiber, and carbohydrates. The mineral contents of Pimpinella anisum seed were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), revealing that the plant has a high fiber content (42.62%) followed by carbohydrates (38.79%). The seeds were also found to be a rich source of minerals, with notable amounts of Rubidium, Magnesium, and Calcium. The extracts showed a high mortality percentage compared to Metronidazole, with the chloroform extract exhibiting higher anti-giardial activity (78.71%) than the ethanolic extract (75.29%) at a concentration of 500 ppm. These findings support the traditional use of Anise in treating gastrointestinal issues and as a natural supplement. Further studies are needed to isolate the active ingredients and understand their mechanism of action.

Efficacy of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and anise (Pimpinella anisum) essential oils as anaesthesics in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L. 1758).

In this study, the anaesthetic effects of fennel and anise essential oils were investigated on common carp. Fish (10 ± 0.45 g) were exposed to nine concentrations of essential oils (5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mg L-1). Additionally, the histopathological effects on the fish tissues including gill, skin and hepatopancreas and physiological effects on some blood parameters (Na+, K+, Ca+2, Cl-, total plasma protein and glucose) of essential oils were investigated in carp. At the end of the experiment, fennel oil showed an anaesthetic effect at a concentration of 500 mg L-1 in carp (anaesthesia induction and recovery times were 308 and 472 s, respectively). Anise essential oil showed deep anaesthesia at a concentration of 100 mg L-1, but anaesthesia induction time was found to be very long (20 min). In addition, anise oil at concentrations above 100 mg L-1 caused 10% mortality in fish. Blood parameters except glucose level in both essential oils were unchanged during deep anaesthesia in carp. However, plasma glucose levels were found lower in fish anaesthetized with anise oil than control and fennel groups (P < 0.05). At the histopathological examination, no pathological findings were observed in any organ of fish in the fennel group. However, severe hyperemia and inflammatory cell infiltrations in gills, erosive lesions in the skin and slight inflammatory reactions in the skin were observed in the anise group. The present study demonstrated that fennel essential oil at 500 mg L-1 concentration can be used as an effective and safe anaesthetic in common carp, but anise essential oil is not suitable.

Unveiling the bioactive potential of Pimpinella anisum L. leaf extracts: Chromatographic profiling, antimicrobial efficiency, and cytotoxicity analysis.

In various countries, Pimpinella has been used to cure several diseases for centuries. Therefore, we focus on one of its potent species in this research. The aim of this experimental study was to document the various extracts derived from Pimpinella anisum that can effectively eradicate oral pathogens. In addition, the presence of antioxidants, antimicrobials, and cytotoxicity was determined using chromatographic testing methods. The alkaloid range was from 22.34 ± 043 mg/g, and the saponin range was from 15.1 ± 1.07 mg/g. HPLC analysis showed that the samples contained eight identified phenolic compounds. The antibacterial activity of ethanolic extract exhibited the highest inhibition region against Streptococcus iniae (43 ± 0.6 mm) and the lowest inhibition region against Staphylococcus haemolyticus (19 ± 0.2 mm) in 200 mg/mL of leaf ethanolic extracts. The antifungal activity revealed that ethanol showed the maximum inhibition zone against Aspergillus luchuensis (42.5 ± 0.19 mm) and the minimum inhibition zone against Aspergillus kawachii (15 ± 0.13 mm) in 200 mg/mL. The current study suggested that, after the isolation of individual components, P. anisum be investigated for assessing biological activity. The mixture and various combinations of these compounds may indicate a truly potent agent that is novel in its ability to combat a wide range of bacteria and oral pathogens.

Emerging Biopharmaceuticals from Pimpinella Genus.

Evolved over eons to encode biological assays, plants-derived natural products are still the first dawn of drugs. Most researchers have focused on natural compounds derived from commonly used Pimpinella species, such as P. anisum, P. thellungiana, P. saxifrage, and P. brachycarpa, to investigate their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Ethnopharmacological studies demonstrated that the genus Pimpinella has the homology characteristics of medicine and food and mainly in the therapy of gastrointestinal dysfunction, respiratory diseases, deworming, and diuresis. The natural product investigation of Pimpinella spp. revealed numerous natural products containing phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, coumarins, sterols, and organic acids. These natural products have the potential to provide future drugs against crucial diseases, such as cancer, hypertension, microbial and insectile infections, and severe inflammations. It is an upcoming field of research to probe a novel and pharmaceutically clinical value on compounds from the genus Pimpinella. In this review, we attempt to summarize the present knowledge on the traditional applications, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of more than twenty-five species of the genus Pimpinella.

Biomolecular Screening of Pimpinella anisum L. for Antioxidant and Anticholinesterase Activity in Mice Brain.

Hundreds of the plants have been explored and evaluated for antioxidant and anti-amnesic activities, so far. This study was designed to report the biomolecules of Pimpinella anisum L. for the said activities. The aqueous extract of dried P. anisum seeds was fractionated via column chromatography and the fractions so obtained were assessed for the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) via in vitro analysis. The fraction which best inhibited AChE was so named as the P. anisum active fraction (P.aAF). The P.aAF was then chemically analyzed via GCMS, which indicated that oxadiazole compounds were present in it. The P.aAF was then administered to albino mice to conduct the in vivo (behavioral and biochemical) studies. The results of the behavioral studies indicated the significant (p < 0.001) increase in inflexion ratio, by the number of hole-pokings through holes and time spent in a dark area by P.aAF treated mice. Biochemical studies demonstrated that the oxadiazole present in P.aAF on one hand presented a noteworthy reduction in MDA and the AChE level and on the other hand promoted the levels of CAT, SOD and GSH in mice brain. The LD50 for P.aAF was calculated as 95 mg/Kg/p.o. The findings thus supported that the antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities of P. anisum are due to its oxadiazole compounds.

A comparison of the performance of conventional and eco-friendly extraction methods in the evaluation of total phenolics, antioxidant activity, and chemical composition of anise.

In this work, the essential oil of Pimpinella anisum seeds was obtained by six different extraction methods. In the chemical composition analysis, 4, 6, 4, 1, 20, and 8 compounds were detected in the extracts obtained by Soxhlet, Ultrasonic-assisted (UAE), hydrodistillation using Clevenger apparatus (HDC), subcritical water extraction (SWE), supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (ScCO2) using three solvents (methanol (ScCO2-Met), ethanol (ScCO2-Et), and hexane (ScCO2-H)) and supercritical 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (ScR134a) methods, respectively. Also, the performances of the applied methods were compared by analysing the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of the extracts. Anethole was the main component of all extracts obtained by SWE (94.5%) and Soxhlet (94.5%) methods, respectively. Also, TPC values were the highest (508.5 mg GAE/100 g kb) in ScR134a extract and the lowest (27.77 mg GAE/100 g kb) in HDC extracts. The antioxidant capacity was found to be the highest in ScCO2-H (IC50 = 1.58 mg/mL) and the lowest in Soxhlet extracts (IC50 = 0.07 mg/mL). The results showed the great effectiveness of eco-friendly extraction SWE, ScCO2-Et, and ScR134a methods.

The possible protective role of pimpinella anisum oil versus selenium on aspartame induced changes in rat cerebellar cortex: histological, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study.

Aspartame (ASP) is an artificial sweeter. Chronic use of ASP has a harmful effect on cerebellar cortex. Anisum oil and selenium (SE) are antioxidant substances. Therefore, the present study was performed to study the possible protective role of anisum oil versus selenium on aspartame-induced changes in rat cerebellar cortex. Rats were divided into four main groups. Group I (Control group). Group II received 250 mg/kg/day aspartame once daily for 2 months. Group III received 0.5 ml/kg/day anisum 2 h before aspartame administration. Group IV received 0.5 mg/kg/day selenium 2 h before aspartame administration. The administration of Asp for 2 months (group II) resulted in cerebellar histopathological changes in the form of deformed Purkinje and granule cells. Ultrastructurally, Purkinje cells had irregular nuclei, dilated cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum, dilated saccules of Golgi apparatus, mitochondria with destroyed cristae. In addition, granule cells appeared shrunken with irregular nuclei. Aspartame and anisum oil treated group (group III) showed partial improvement. Examination of ASP and SE treated group (group IV) showed that cerebellar cortex was nearly similar to control. In conclusion, Anisum oil and selenium could protect against ASP-induced cerebellar damage. The protective effect of selenium is better than anisum oil.

Pimpinella anisum Essential Oil Nanoemulsion Toxicity against Tribolium castaneum? Shedding Light on Its Interactions with Aspartate Aminotransferase and Alanine Aminotransferase by Molecular Docking.

The insecticidal activity is the result of a series of complex interactions between toxic substances as ligands and insect's enzymes as targets. Actually, synthetic insecticides used in pest control programs are harmful to the environment and may affect non-target organisms; thus, the use of natural products as pest control agents can be very attractive. In the present work, the toxic effect of aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L.) essential oil (EO) and its nanoemulsion (NE) against the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, has been evaluated. To assess the EO mode of action, the impact of sub-lethal concentrations of aniseed EO and NE was evaluated on enzymatic and macromolecular parameters of the beetles, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total protein, total lipids and glucose. Finally, a molecular docking study was conducted to predict the mode of action of the major EO and NE components namely E-anethole, Limonene, alpha-himalachalene, trans-Verbenol and Linalool at binding site of the enzymes AST and ALT. Herein, the binding location of the main compounds in both proteins are discussed suggesting the possible interactions between the considered enzymes and ligands. The obtained results open new horizons to understand the evolution and response of insect-plant compounds interactions and their effect predicted at the molecular levels and side effects of both animal and human.

Wound healing activity of Pimpinella anisum methanolic extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the wound healing potential of Pimpinella anisum on cutaneous wounds in diabetic rats. METHOD: Full-thickness excisional wounds were made on the back of male, Sprague-Dawley rats with diabetes. The rats were randomly allocated into four treatment groups: 1ml basal cream; tetracycline (3%); Pimpinella anisum 10% for 14 days; and a control group. At days seven, 14 and 21 post-injury, five animals of each group were euthanised, and wounds were assessed through gross, histopathological and oxidant/antioxidant evaluations. Additionally, the dry matter and hydroxyproline contents of the skin samples were measured. RESULTS: A total of 60 rats were used in the study. A significant decrease in the wound size was observed in treated animals with Pimpinella anisum compared with other groups during the experiment. Additionally, treatment with Pimpinella anisum decreased the number of lymphocytes and improved the number of fibroblasts at the earlier stages and increased a number of fibrocytes at the later stages of wound healing. Other parameters such as re-epithelialisation, tissue alignment, greater maturity of collagen fibres and large capillary-sized blood vessels revealed significant changes when compared with the control. Pimpinella anisum significantly reverted oxidative changes of total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde and glutathione peroxidase induced by diabetic wounds (p<0.05). Furthermore, it significantly increased the dry matter and hydroxyproline contents at various stages of wound healing (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The present study showed that application of Pimpinella anisum extract promotes wound healing activity in diabetic rats. The wound-healing property of Pimpinella anisum can be attributed to the phytoconstituents present in the plant.

HPLC Analysis and Skin Whitening Effects of Umbelliprenin-containing Extracts of Anethum Graveolens, Pimpinella Anisum, and Ferulago Campestris.

Umbelliprenin has recently been shown to have great potential as a skin whitening agent. Wishing to investigate the same effect in plant species known to biosynthesize this coumarin, three plants belonging to the Apiaceae family, namely Anethum graveolens L. (dill), Pimpinella anisum L. (anise), and Ferulago campestris (Besser) Grecescu (field ferula) were screened by HPLC analysis for their respective content of umbelliprenin in extracts obtained with different solvent mixtures and by maceration and ultrasound-assisted processes. EtOH was shown to be the best solvent, providing umbelliprenin yields ranging from 1.7% to 14.4% (with respect to the total amount of extract obtained). Extracts with the highest content of this farnesyloxycoumarin were then assayed as modulators of melanogenesis in cultured murine Melan A cells employing the same umbelliprenin obtained by chemical synthesis as the reference. A parallelism between the content of the coumarin and the recorded depigmenting effect (60% for the EtOH extract of F. campestris as the best value) was revealed for all plants extracts when applied at a dose of 100 µg/mL. Our results demonstrate that the same potential of umbelliprenin can be ascribed also to umbelliprenin-enriched plant extracts which reinforces enforce the widespread use of phyto-preparations for cosmetic purposes (e.g., A. graveolens).

Pimpinella anisum L. ethanolic extract ameliorates the gentamicin- induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

AIM: Gentamicin (GM) is one of the commonest causes of drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Moreover, oxidative stress plays an important role in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity. The current study aimed to explore the antioxidant and protective effects of Pimpinella anisum (P. anisum) on the alleviation of GM-induced damage. METHODS: Forty male wistar rats were divided into four groups: control, sham that was administrated normal saline orally and intraperitoneally (i.p.), GM that received 100 mg/kg bw/day i.p., GM and ethanolic extract of P. anisum that was administrated at an oral dose of 300 mg/kg bw/day for 8 days. Creatinine, Na+ , K+ and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were measured. The levels of ferric-reducing-antioxidant-power (FRAP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured to evaluate the oxidative stress induced by GM. Kidney tissues were stained to determine the degree of tissue damage. RESULTS: The plasma levels of creatinine, BUN, MDA and the absolute excretion of sodium and potassium were increased in the GM group, while FRAP level was reduced compared to the sham group. In addition, congestion of renal Vessels and tubular cell necrosis was observed. We found that 300 mg/kg bw/day P. anisum significantly reduced the plasma concentrations of renal function markers in the group receiving GM (P < 0.05). Additionally, gentamicin-induced tubule damage was improved by P. anisum. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated the potential therapeutic impact of P. anisum to attenuate GM-induced nephrotoxicity. Therefore, the simultaneous use of ethanolic extract of P. anisum during GM administration is recommended to reduce its nephrotoxicity effects.

Characterization and Influence of Green Synthesis of Nano-Sized Zinc Complex with 5-Aminolevulinic Acid on Bioactive Compounds of Aniseed.

A new water soluble zinc-aminolevulinic acid nano complex (n[Zn(ALA)2 ]), which was characterized by TEM, IR, and EDX spectra, has been prepared via sonochemical method under green conditions in water. In the current study, the effectiveness of foliar Zn amendment using synthetic Zn-ALA nano complex, as a new introduced Zn-fertilizer here, was evaluated. As the model plant, Pimpinella anisum, the most valuable spice and medicinal plant grown in warm regions, was used. By using zinc nano complex, further twenty compounds were obtained in the essential oil of anise plants. Application of 0.2% (w/v) Zn-ALA nano complex increased the levels of (E)-anethole, ß-bisabolene, germacrene D, methyl chavicol, and α-zingiberene in the essential oil. Nano Zn complex at the rate of 0.2% induced considerable high phenolic compounds and zinc content of shoots and seeds. Chlorogenic acid had the highest level between four detected phenolic compounds. The maximum antioxidant activity was monitored through the application of Zn nano complex. According to the results, nanoscale nutrients can be provided with further decreased doses for medicinal plants. Using Zn-ALA nano complex is a new and efficient method to improve the pharmaceutical and food properties of anise plants.

Antioxidant activity, polyphenolic contents and essential oil composition of Pimpinella anisum L. as affected by zinc fertilizer.

BACKGROUND: The antioxidant activity and essential oil content of plants may vary considerably with respect to environmental conditions, especially nutrient availability. Among micronutrients, zinc (Zn) is needed by plants in only small amounts but is crucial to plant development. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Zn fertilization on the antioxidant activity, polyphenolic contents and essential oil composition of Pimpinella anisum fruit. RESULTS: Foliar application of Zn fertilizer considerably increased the number of detected essential oil components from 27 to 45. Zinc application at a rate of 0.2% (w/v) significantly enhanced the levels of ß-bisabolene, germacrene D, n-decane and α-zingiberene, whereas the opposite trend was observed for (E)-anethole and geijerene. Application of 0.2% Zn considerably increased the levels of phenolic compounds, with chlorogenic acid showing the highest content among eight phenolic compounds detected in treated plants. The maximum antioxidant activity was achieved through application of 0.2% Zn fertilizer. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that the quality and quantity of anise fruit essential oil components were significantly altered by application of low levels of Zn. After foliar application of Zn, polyphenolic contents as well as antioxidant activity of anise fruit increased. Using Zn fertilizer is an efficient method to improve the pharmaceutical and food properties of anise fruit. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pharmacokinetic Herb-Drug Interaction between Essential Oil of Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L., Apiaceae) and Acetaminophen and Caffeine: A Potential Risk for Clinical Practice.

Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L., Apiaceae) and its essential oil (EO) have been widely used. Because there are some data about the impact of aniseed EO on drug effects, this survey aimed to assess the potential of pharmacokinetic herb-drug interaction between aniseed EO and acetaminophen and caffeine in mice. The chemical analysis (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) of aniseed EO has confirmed trans-anethole (87.96%) as the main component. The pharmacokinetic studies of intraperitoneally (i.p.) and orally applied acetaminophen (200 mg/kg) and caffeine (20 mg/kg) were performed in mice after 5 days of oral treatment with human equivalent dose of aniseed EO (0.3 mg/kg/day). The analysis of pharmacokinetic data showed that in the group treated by aniseed EO, the significant decrease in the peak plasma concentration of acetaminophen after oral application (p = 0.024) was revealed when compared with control group and the reduction of systemic exposure to the drug after oral application (74 ± 32% vs. 85 ± 35% in the control) was noted. The bioavailability of orally applied caffeine was also significantly decreased (p = 0.022) after the EO treatment in comparison with the control (57 ± 24% vs. 101 ± 29%). Therefore, the compromised therapeutic efficacy of acetaminophen and caffeine during the usage of aniseed EO preparations should be considered.

Phytochemical Profile and Evaluation of the Biological Activities of Essential Oils Derived from the Greek Aromatic Plant Species Ocimum basilicum, Mentha spicata, Pimpinella anisum and Fortunella margarita.

Natural products, known for their medicinal properties since antiquity, are continuously being studied for their biological properties. In the present study, we analyzed the composition of the volatile preparations of essential oils of the Greek plants Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil), Mentha spicata (spearmint), Pimpinella anisum (anise) and Fortunella margarita (kumquat). GC/MS analyses revealed that the major components in the essential oil fractions, were carvone (85.4%) in spearmint, methyl chavicol (74.9%) in sweet basil, trans-anethole (88.1%) in anise, and limonene (93.8%) in kumquat. We further explored their biological potential by studying their antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. Only the essential oils from spearmint and sweet basil demonstrated cytotoxicity against common foodborne bacteria, while all preparations were active against the fungi Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus niger. Antioxidant evaluation by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity assays revealed a variable degree of antioxidant potency. Finally, their antiproliferative potential was tested against a panel of human cancer cell lines and evaluated by using the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. All essential oil preparations exhibited a variable degree of antiproliferative activity, depending on the cancer model used, with the most potent one being sweet basil against an in vitro model of human colon carcinoma.

Inclusion of phytogenic blends in different nutrient density diets of meat-type ducks.

A total of 160 1-day-old ducklings (average initial body weight of 53 g), were used in a 42-d feeding trial to evaluate the effects of reducing nutrient density of diets, and supplementing the diets with a phytogenic blend (quillaja, anise, and thyme) on their growth, carcass quality, and nutrient digestibility. After checking body weight on d 1, the birds were sorted into pens with 5 birds/pen and 8 pens/treatment. The treatments were: T1, Basal diet; T2, T1+150 ppm phytogenic blend; T3, T1-(1% CP, 0.04% Lys, 0.05% Met+Cys, 0.02% Ca, and 0.02% P, and 50 kcal ME); T4, T3+150 ppm phytogenic blend. The results indicated that reducing nutrient density of the diets had an adverse effect (P<0.05) on body weight gain (BWG) on d 1 to 21, d 21 to 42, and the overall experimental period. Supplementing the diets with the phytogenic blend improved (P<0.05) BWG and feed conversion ratio (FCR) on d 21 to 42 and the overall experimental period. Feed intake was not affected by treatments. Low nutrient density diets increased (P<0.05) the cooking loss percentage of breast meat. Supplementing the diets with the phytogenic blend decreased (P<0.05) the lightness of breast meat. The percentage of drip loss was influenced (P<0.05) by nutrient density and the phytogenic blend on d 1 and d 7. The relative weights of breast meat, abdominal fat, gizzard, liver, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius, pH, and TBARS values were not affected by the treatments. The digestibility of dry matter, energy, nitrogen, ADF, and NDF was decreased (P<0.05) by reducing nutrients density of the diets, but addition of the phytogenic blend alleviated (P<0.05) the negative effects of lowering the nutrient density. The results indicated that the ducks fed high nutrient density diets supplemented with the phytogenic blend showed higher BWG and nutrient digestibility and lower FCR, cooking loss, drip loss, and TBARS value, without any negative effect on meat quality and relative organs weights.

TOXIC ACTIVITY AND DELAYED EFFECTS OF FIVE BOTANICAL OILS ON THE FOLLOWING GENERATIONS OF AGROTIS IPSILON (HUFNAGEL) (INSECTA: LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) AFTER PARENTS TREATMENT.

The present study is carried out to evaluate the toxic efficiency and delayed effects of five botanical oils on the greasy cut worm Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), as a trial for the attainment of a possible use of an alternative safe and effective phytochemicals against the insect-pest. So as to minimize or prevent the repeated usage of conventional insecticides, then reduce the environmental pollution as well as the occurring hazards to man and domestic animal due to the use of the pesticides alone. Four tested concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.5% v/v) from each of camphor, red basil, menthol, rose and anise oils, were bioassayed by treating the offered castor oil bean leaves, to the 4th instar larvae along 48h, under the laboratory higrothermic conditions of 25±2 °C and 65±5% R.H. The obtained results showed that the five tested oils were found to have more or less toxic activity and drastic effects on the inspected parameters of fitness components of the treated parent generation of the insect, in particular, pupae, emerged adult moths and laid eggs/female. In this respect camphor and red basil oils were highly effective, followed by menthol oil, anise oil and the least effective one was rose oil. Moreover, the assessed unprofitable delayed effects on the going on of the biological performance within the treated insects showed the adverse effects on the fitness components of the consequent generations (fs) post (p) one treatment with each of the bioassyed oils. The prevalence of adverse effects and disturbance in the going on biological performance through the period of (p) generation; which is followed by the distinct failure of insect development in (f1) generation were recorded for each of the tested menthol oil at 0.5 and 1.5% (v/v); camphor oil at 1.5 and 2.5% and red basil oil at 2.5% (v/v). While anise and rose oils were somewhat less efficient causing the distinct failure of the following generations up to the 3rd and/or the 6th ones. That observed distinct failure of the insect development could be attributed to the rapid or/and slow cumulative effect of the induced recessive lethal genes in both influenced sexes along the interval of the following developed generations (fs) after (p) one treatment, causing apparent adverse disturbance of the normal biological performance, which finally appears at the beginning of the failed generation.

EFFICIENCY OF PREPARED BAITS OF LONE OR/AND ADMIXED FOUR BOTANICAL OILS ON THE VIABILITY OF SUCCESSIVE RAISED GENERATIONS OF AGROTIS IPSILON (HUFNAGEL) (INSECTA: LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) AFTER TREATING THE PARENT ONES.

The present study is initiated to determine the toxic and delayed effects of four botanical oils on the greasy cutworm A. ipsilon, aiming to attain an alternative environmentally safe and effective phytochemicals against the insect-pest. Four botanical oils (camphor, red basil, menthol and rose oil) were added at rates of 0.5 and 1.0% (v/w). The tested oils were added alone, and/or admixed at proportional rate of 1:1 in the prepared baits against the exposed 4th instar till the 6th instar larvae of the insect. The study was run under the laboratory higrothermic conditions of 25±2°C and 65±5% R.H. The results showed that the tested baits of camphor, red basil and menthol oils at concentration rates of 0.5 and 1.0% (v/w) adversely affected the inspected parameters of fitness components of the treated individuals of parent (p) generation. They gave more or less fewer numbers of weak unviable adult-moths, which were either sterile or they laid few numbers of infertile eggs and died before the induction of (F1) progeny. That failure could be elucidated by the rapid occurrence of drastic effects on the biological performance of both the influenced sexes of adult-moths along the period of parent's development. Finally it ended by the inhibited induction of (F1) progeny. A delayed effect of the prepared baits of rose oil at 0.5 and 1.0% (v/w), was assessed on the following raised F1, F2, F3 and F4 generations after parent's treatment. The delayed effect was detected as less efficient latent effect on each of these consequently raised generations; characterized by the gradual decrease of the number of alive immatures and adult-moths. The effect was recorded as gradual increase of dead and malformed individuals and adult-moths. In addition to the gradual decrease of deposited and/or hatched eggs up to the 4th generation, which ended by the complete failure of the development. That failure could be also attributed to the cumulated effects of the induced recessive lethal genes in both the influenced sexes during the periods of raised F1, F2 and F3 generations. The recessive lethal genes caused drastic unprofitable effects that appeared at the beginning of the 4th generation that failed. Also, the tested baits (0.5 and 1.0%, v/w) of each of admixed camphor, red basil and menthol oil with rose oil (1:1), greatly affected the developmental parameters of the treated insects. The highest efficient toxicity and an adverse biological performance of the admixed camphor and/or red basil oils with rose oil at 0.5 and 1.0 (v/w), and menthol/rose oil at 0.5% (v/w) on the treated parent generation were detected. The previous treatment gave unviable sterile adults, which died before the induction of (F1) progeny. That recorded failure of (F1) proves the fastest toxic efficiency and a drastic biological performance which were entirely unable to induce (F1) progeny. The tested bait of mixed menthol/rose oils (1.0%, v/w), showed significant reduction in all studied parameters of F1 and F2 fitness components. The tested bait raised sterile unviable adult-moths of (F2) generation which furtherly ended by the distinct failure of (F2) development. This effect may be caused by the cumulative effects of the induced recessive lethal genes in both of the affected sexes through the developmental period of (F1) generation after (P) one treatment, inducing apparent drastic effects, which were revealed at the beginning of (F2) generation. Remarkably, the inspected faster or slower occurred toxicity and drastic biological performance of these admixed botanical oils, may be referred to the synergistic action for most of the evaluated mixtures or/and the additive one for menthol/rose oil (1.0%), which needs further investigation.

[Peculicidal activity of plant essential oils and their based preparations].

The peculicidal activity of eight plant essential oils in 75% isopropyl alcohol was in vitro investigated. Of them, the substances that were most active against lice were tea tree (Melaleuca), eucalyptus, neem, citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), and clove (Syzygium aromaticum) oils; KT50 was not more than 3 minutes on average; KT95 was 4 minutes. After evaporating the solvent, only five (tea tree, cassia, clove, anise (Anisum vulgare), and Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum) oils) of the eight test botanical substances were active against lice. At the same time, KT50 and KT95 showed 1.5-5-fold increases. Citronella and anise oils had incomplete ovicidal activity. Since the lice were permethrin-resistant, the efficacy of preparations based on essential oils was much higher than permethrin.

Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) attenuates azoxymethane-induced colorectal cancer by antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic pathways in rats.

Herbal medicine is one of the most common fields explored for combating colon cancers, and Pimpinella anisum L. seeds (PAS) have been utilized widely as medicinal agents because of their increased essential oil (trans-anethole) contents. In this essence, our study investigates the toxic effect and chemoprotective potentials of PAS against azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon cancer in rats. The toxicity trial for PAS conducted by clustering fifteen rats into three groups (five rats each): A, normal control had 10% Tween 20; B, ingested with 2 g/kg PAS; and C, supplemented with 4 g/kg PAS. The in vivo cancer trial was performed by using 30 rats (Sprague-Dawley) that were randomly adapted in five steel cages (six rats each): group A, normal controls received two subcutaneous injections of normal saline 0.09% and ingested orally 10% Tween 20; groups B-E, rats received two injections of 15 mg/kg of azoxymethane (AOM) subcutaneously in 2 weeks and treated orally with 10% Tween 20 (group B) or intraperitoneal injection of 5-fluorouracil (35 mg/kg) (group C), or orally given 200 mg/kg PAS (group D) and 400 mg/kg PAS (group E) for 8 weeks. After the scarification of rats, the colon tissues were dissected for gross and histopathological evaluations. The acute toxicity trial showed the absence of any toxic signs in rats even after 14 days of ingesting 4 g/kg of PAS. The chemoprotective experiment revealed significant inhibitory potentials (65.93%) of PAS (400 mg/kg) against aberrant crypto foci incidence that could be correlated with its positive modulation of the immunohistochemically proteins represented by a significant up-regulation of the Bax protein and a decrease of the Bcl-2 protein expressions in colon tissues. Furthermore, PAS-treated rats had notably lower oxidative stress in colon tissues evidenced by decreased MDA levels and increased antiradical defense enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GPx). The outcomes suggest 400 mg/kg PAS as a viable additive for the development of potential pharmaceuticals against colorectal cancer.