[Chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Cinnamomum camphora chvar. borneol essential oil: a review].

Cinnamomum camphora chvar. borneol, a rare camphor tree variant recently identified in China, is distinguished by its high concentration of D-borneol, also known as " plant gold" due to its significant value. The essential oil extracted from this variant,rich in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, demonstrates a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, including analgesic, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, cognition-enhancing, anti-bacterial, and insecticidal effects. These properties, underscored by extensive research, highlight the oil's potential in the biomedical, chemical, and food sectors as a valuable commodity. Nonetheless, the safety profile of this valuable oil remains poorly characterized, with its chemical composition and therapeutic efficacy subject to variations in the factors like geographic origin, harvesting timing, part used for extraction, and processing techniques. Such variability poses challenges to its clinical application and hampers the efficient exploitation of this resource. This review synthesizes current studies on C. camphora chvar. borneol essential oil and provides a detailed examination of its chemical and pharmacological profiles. In this study, we discuss existing research gaps and propose strategies for advancing its clinical use and industrial application, aiming to provide a foundational reference for future investigations and the resolution of its commercial and therapeutic challenges.

Chemical Variation and Environmental Influence on Essential Oil of Cinnamomum camphora.

Cinnamomum camphora is a traditional aromatic plant used to produce linalool and borneol flavors in southern China; however, its leaves also contain many other unutilized essential oils. Herein, we report geographic relationships for the yield and compositional diversity of C. camphora essential oils. The essential oils of 974 individual trees from 35 populations in 13 provinces were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection, respectively. Oil yields ranged from 0.01% to 3.46%, with a significantly positive correlation with latitude and a significantly negative correlation with longitude. In total, 41 compounds were identified, including 15 monoterpenoids, 24 sesquiterpenoids, and two phenylpropanoids. Essential oil compositions varied significantly among individuals and could be categorized into various chemotypes. The six main chemotypes were eucalyptol, nerolidol, camphor, linalool, selina, and mixed types. The other 17 individual plants were chemotypically rare and exhibited high levels of methyl isoeugenol, methyl eugenol, δ-selinene, or borneol. Eucalyptol-type plants had the highest average oil yield of 1.64%, followed in decreasing order by linalool-, camphor-, mixed-, selina-, and nerolidol-type plants. In addition, the five main compounds exhibited a clear geographic gradient. Eucalyptol and linalool showed a significantly positive correlation with latitude, while selina-6-en-4-ol was significantly and negatively correlated with latitude. trans-Nerolidol and selina-6-en-4-ol showed significantly positive correlations with longitude, whereas camphor was significantly and negatively correlated with longitude. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that environmental factors could strong effect the oil yield and essential oil profile of C. camphora.

Utilization of FMOC-3F-PHE hydrogel for encapsulation of Zanthoxylum armatum and Cinnamomum camphora oil for enhancing their antibacterial activity.

OBJECTIVE: While essential oils have many applications in medicine, not many studies have been done in the past to address issues of active targeting, enhancing bioavailability and reducing toxicity at higher concentrations. Herein, we used Fmoc-3F-Phe amino acid hydrogels to address such issues by encapsulating essential oils, Zanthoxylum armatum and Cinnamomum camphora, in its system and allowing sustained-release of these oils onto bacterial assays of E. coli ATCC 25922, P. hauseri NBRC 3851, M. luteus KACC 13377, and B. subtilis ATCC 66333 for probing enhanced antibacterial properties of the oils by prolonging its efficacy through controlled-release mechanism. RESULTS: We found that while Zanthoxylum oil showed no particular difference in enhancing the antibacterial property against the three fast growing bacteria, however profound variation was observed against slow growing bacteria B. subtilis. The hydrogel encapsulated oil was able to retain its antibacterial property for a longer time while directly applied oil could not for this bacteria. Even for highly volatile camphor oil, the oil itself failed to show any antibacterial property with direct use, however the hydrogel encapsulated oil was able to show excellent antibacterial property for B. subtilis and M. luteus through prohibition of sublimation via encapsulation.

A Study on the Mechanism of the Sedative-hypnotic Effect of Cinnamomum camphora chvar. Borneol Essential Oil Based on Network Pharmacology.

In this paper, we investigated the sedative-hypnotic effect of Cinnamomum camphora chvar. Borneol essential oil (BEO, 16.4% borneol), a by-product of steam distillation of Cinnamomum camphora chvar. Borneol, from which natural crystalline borneol (NCB, 98.4% borneol) is obtained. Using locomotor activity tests and pentobarbital sodium-induced sleep test, it was found that BEO significantly reduced locomotor activity (p < 0.05), shortened sleep latency (p < 0.0001), prolonged sleep duration (p < 0.05), and had a sedative-hypnotic effect. We constructed the "components-targets-signaling pathways" and "proteinprotein interaction" (PPI) network of BEO using network pharmacology. The results show that the 24 active components of BEO acted on 17 targets, mainly through response to alkaloid and catecholamine transport, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. The PPI network identified 12 key proteins, mainly dopamine receptor (DR)D2, opioid receptor mu 1 (OPRM1), and opioid receptor kappa 1 (OPRK1), and we further analyzed the active components and targets of BEO through molecular docking. The results showed that the active components and targets obtained by network pharmacology analyses had good binding activity, which reflected their multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway action characteristics. This paper provides a theoretical basis for further study of the mechanism of action of BEO in the treatment of insomnia.

Adaptogenic activity of Cinnamomum camphora, Eucalyptus globulus, Lavandula stœchas and Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil used in North-African folk medicine.

Depressive anxiety is one of the most emotional disorders in our industrial societies. Many treatments of phobias exist and are based on plant extracts therapies, which play an important role in the amelioration of the behavior. Our study aimed to evaluate the adaptogenic activity of different essential oils provided from local plants: Cinnamomum camphora (Camphora), Eucalyptus globulus (Blue gum), Lavandula stœchas (Topped lavender) and Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) on Wistar rats. The adaptogenic activity was evaluated on the elevated plus-maze. The efficacy of the extract (200 mL/kg) was compared with the standard anxiolytic drug Diazepam® 1 mg. Animals administered by the essential oil of Lavandula stœchas, Cinnamomum camphora, Rosmarinus officinalis and Eucalyptus globulus showed a behavior similar to those treated with Diazepam®. For groups treated with the following essential oils: Rosmarinus officinalis, Lavandula stoechas and Cinnamomum camphora at a dose of 200 mL/kg, we notice an increase in the time spent on the open arms of the elevated plus-maze and a decrease in time spent on the closed arms of the elevated plus-maze, especially for Rosmarinus officinalis, which explains the anxiolytic effect of these plants. We also notice a decrease in the number of entries in closed arms, open arms and the number of passing to the central square. The increase in the number of entries to open arms with Eucalyptus globulus essential oil shows a reduction in anxiety behavior in rodents and this shows that these plants have an inhibitory effect.

Evaluation of the analgesic potential and safety of Cinnamomum camphora chvar. Borneol essential oil.

Cinnamomum camphora chvar. Borneol essential oil (BEO, 18.2% v/v borneol) is a by-product of steam distillation to produce natural crystalline borneol (NCB, 98.4% v/v borneol). Given the known medicinal properties of borneol, the analgesic function and safety were studied. Horn's method and the Draize test revealed a gender difference in mice regarding acute oral LD50, i.e., low-toxicity to female mice (2749 mg/kg), but practically nontoxic to male mice (5081 mg/kg). There was no acute and skin or eye irritation when BEO was applied directly, if the BEO concentration was less than 50%. The analgesic effect of BEO was evaluated by the glacial acetic acid-induced writhing pain model. Continuous topical application of BEO to the abdomen of mice for 6 d, significantly reduced observed writhing in mice (p < 0.001) with a strong dose-response relationship (r = -0.9006). Concomitantly, the levels of the serum pain-related mediators, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and transient receptor potential melastatin-8 (TRPM8) were significantly reduced (p < 0.001), and the latter showed a strong dose-response relationship (r = -0.9427). Therefore, BEO had similar analgesic functions to borneol and was demonstrated to be safe for medicinal use.

Covalent modification by phenolic extract improves the structural properties and antioxidant activities of the protein isolate from Cinnamomum camphora seed kernel.

In this study, protein isolate (PI) and purified phenolic extract (PPE) were prepared from Cinnamomum camphora seed kernel (CCSK). The effects of covalent modification of PI by PPE at different concentrations (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5%, w/w) were investigated with respect to structural properties and antioxidant activities of protein. Fifteen bioactive compounds in PPE were tentatively identified by UPLC-ESI-MSn. With the increase of PPE concentration, the turbidity, covalent binding rate, phenolic content and color intensity of the PI-PPE complexes were gradually increased. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy analysis showed that the secondary and tertiary structures of the complexes were changed and became greater order than PI. Furthermore, the complexes exhibited stronger thermal stability and antioxidant activities than those of PI. These results suggested that the protein-phenolic covalent complexes obtained from CCSK may have great potential to be used in food formulations as functional ingredients.

The anti-inflammatory potential of Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J.Presl essential oil in vitro and in vivo.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Borneol was widely used in traditional Chinese medicine formulas due to its pharmacological activities, e.g. sedative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-ischemic properties. Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J.Presl essential oil (BEO) is a by-product of natural crystalline borneol (NCB) production obtained by steam distillation of Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J.Presl leaves, and borneol was the main component of BEO. This study aims to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of BEO and its corresponding mechanisms through in vitro and in vivo studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human erythrocyte membrane stability assay and the acute inflammation murine model (xylene-induced ear edema) were chosen to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of BEO. Expression of inflammatory mediators, including interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The functional compounds in the BEO were identified by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The steady-state transdermal diffusion rates of BEO and BEO nano-emulsion with were also determined in this study. Cytotoxicity of BEO was analyzed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. RESULTS: The BEO showed a high human erythrocyte membrane stabilization by inhibiting heat-induced hemolysis (IC50 = 5.29 mg/mL) and hypotonic solution-induced hemolysis (IC50 = 0.26 mg/mL) in vitro. The BEO was topically applied to mice auricles, both single and repeated administration significantly reduced xylene-induced auricle swelling (p < 0.0001). Expression of inflammatory mediators, including interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in serum and tissue was significantly downregulated (p < 0.05), so as to the mRNA expression of IL-1ß (p＜0.05) and TNF-α (p < 0.001). A total of 43 components were identified and quantified by GC-MS. The most abundant was borneol [178.3 mg/mL, 20.9% (m/v)], followed by ß-caryophyllene (116.3 mg/mL), camphor (115.2 mg/mL), and limonene (89.4 mg/mL). For determining the skin permeability of BEO, the steady-state transdermal diffusion rates of BEO and BEO nano-emulsion were determined to be 6.7 and 8.9 mg/cm2·h, respectively. CONCLUSION: It is suspected that the anti-inflammatory effects in vivo and in vitro were derived from the above-mentioned components in the BEO. These findings will facilitate the development of BEO as a new and natural therapeutic agent for inflammatory skin conditions.

Anti-Inflammatory Property of the Essential Oil from Cinnamomum camphora (Linn.) Presl Leaves and the Evaluation of Its Underlying Mechanism by Using Metabolomics Analysis.

Cinnamomum camphora (Linn.) Presl has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for a variety of purposes. Our previous study indicated the antibacterial mechanism of the essential oil (EO) from C. camphora leaves; however, its anti-inflammatory activity and the underlying mechanism have not been clearly demonstrated. Thus, the present study investigated its anti-inflammatory property. Our data revealed that EO significantly decreased the release of nitric oxide (NO) and the mRNA expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 microglial cells. EO also attenuated LPS-induced increase in the mRNA expression and secretion of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-18, IL-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Furthermore, the metabolic profiles of LPS-induced BV2 microglial cells treated with or without EO were explored. Thirty-nine metabolites were identified with significantly different contents, including 21 upregulated and 18 downregulated ones. Five pathways were enriched by shared differential metabolites. Compared with the control cells, the glucose level was decreased, while the lactate level was increased, in the culture supernatant from LPS-stimulated cells, which were reversed by EO treatment. Moreover, compared to the LPS-treated group, the activities of phosphofructokinase (PFK) and pyruvate kinase (PK) in EO group were decreased. In summary, the current study demonstrated that EO from C. camphora leaves acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, which might be mediated through attenuating the glycolysis capacity of microglial cells.

Optimization and Characterization of Microwave-Assisted Hydro-Distillation Extraction of Essential Oils from Cinnamomum camphora Leaf and Recovery of Polyphenols from Extract Fluid.

In this study, the efficiency of microwave-assisted hydro-distillation (MAHD) to extract essential oil from Cinnamomum camphora leaf, and the recovery of polyphenols from extract fluid were investigated. The effects of microwave power, liquid-to-material ratio, and extraction time on the extraction efficiency were studied by a single factor test as well as the response surface methodology (RSM) based on the central composite design method. The optimal extraction conditions were a microwave power of 786.27 W, liquid-to-material ratio of 7.47:1 mL/g, and extraction time of 35.57 min. The yield of essential oil was 3.26 ± 0.05% (w/w), and the recovery of polyphenols was 4.97 ± 0.02 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight under the optimal conditions. Furthermore, the comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) was used to characterize the essential oils of fresh and fallen leaves, and 159 individual compounds were tentatively identified, accounting for more than 89.68 and 87.88% of the total contents, respectively. The main ingredients include sabinene, l-ß-pinene, ß-myrcene, α-terpineol, 3-heptanone, and ß-thujene, as well as δ-terpineol and 3-heptanone, which were first identified in C. camphora essential oil. In conclusion, the MAHD method could extract essential oil from C. camphora with high efficiency, and the polyphenols could be obtained from the extract fluid at the same time, improving the utilization of C. camphora leaf.

Chemical composition and larvicidal activities of essential oil of Cinnamomum camphora (L.) leaf against Anopheles stephensi.

INTRODUCTION: Anopheles stephensi is the main malaria vector in Southeast Asia. Recently, plant-sourced larvicides are attracting great interests. METHODS: The essential oil was extracted from the leaf of Cinnamomum camphora (L.), and a bioassay was conducted to determine the larvicidal efficacy. The chemical composition of the essential oil was determined by GC-MS analysis. RESULTS: The oil showed strong, dose-dependent larvicidal activities. The onset of larvicidal efficiency was rapid. The LC50 and LC95 were determined as 0.146% and 1.057% at 1 h, 0.031% and 0.237% at 12 h, 0.026% and 0.128% at 24 h, respectively. The oil contains 32 compounds. CONCLUSIONS: The essential oil of C. camphora leaf has an excellent larvicidal potential for the control of A. stephensi.

Chemical composition and larvicidal activities of essential oil of Cinnamomum camphora (L. ) leaf against Anopheles stephensi

Abstract INTRODUCTION Anopheles stephensi is the main malaria vector in Southeast Asia. Recently, plant-sourced larvicides are attracting great interests. METHODS: The essential oil was extracted from the leaf of Cinnamomum camphora (L.), and a bioassay was conducted to determine the larvicidal efficacy. The chemical composition of the essential oil was determined by GC-MS analysis. RESULTS: The oil showed strong, dose-dependent larvicidal activities. The onset of larvicidal efficiency was rapid. The LC50 and LC95 were determined as 0.146% and 1.057% at 1 h, 0.031% and 0.237% at 12 h, 0.026% and 0.128% at 24 h, respectively. The oil contains 32 compounds. CONCLUSIONS The essential oil of C. camphora leaf has an excellent larvicidal potential for the control of A. stephensi.

Study on Antibacterial and Quorum-Sensing Inhibition Activities of Cinnamomum camphora Leaf Essential Oil.

Many essential oils (EOs) regulate the quorum-sensing (QS) system of pathogens and inhibit the virulence expression. Interference with QS can potentially reduce bacterial multidrug resistance and aid the biological control of bacterial disease. In the present work, the antibacterial and anti-QS activities of Cinnamomum camphora leaf EO were investigated. A total of 23 chemical components with relative levels ≥0.11%, including a large number of terpene compounds, were identified in C. camphora leaf EO by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The principal component was linalool, followed by eucalyptol, with relative levels of 51.57% and 22.07%, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and antibacterial activity of C. camphora EO were examined, and P. aeruginosa and E. coli ATCC25922 showed the highest and lowest sensitivity to C. camphora EO, respectively. Tests of QS inhibitory activity revealed that C. camphora EO significantly decreased the production of violacein and biofilm biomass in C. violaceum, with the maximum inhibition rates of 63% and 77.64%, respectively, and inhibited the biofilm formation and swarming movement, independent of affecting the growth of C. violaceum. Addition of C. camphora EO also resulted in downregulation of the expression of the acyl-homoserine lactones (AHL) synthesis gene (cviI) and transcription regulator (cviR), and inhibited the expression of QS-regulated virulence genes, including vioA, vioB, vioC, vioD, vioE, lasA, lasB, pilE3, and hmsHNFR. Collectively, the prominent antibacterial activity and anti-QS activities clearly support that C. camphora EO acts as a potential antibacterial agent and QS inhibitor in the prevention of bacterial contamination.

Investigation of Lipid Metabolism by a New Structured Lipid with Medium- and Long-Chain Triacylglycerols from Cinnamomum camphora Seed Oil in Healthy C57BL/6J Mice.

In the present study, a new structured lipid with medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols (MLCTs) was synthesized from camellia oil (CO) and Cinnamomum camphora seed oil (CCSO) by enzymatic interesterification. Meanwhile, the antiobesity effects of structured lipid were investigated through observing the changes of enzymes related to lipid mobilization in healthy C57BL/6J mice. Results showed that after synthesis, the major triacylgeride (TAG) species of intesterificated product changed to LaCC/CLaC (12.6 ± 0.46%), LaCO/LCL (21.7 ± 0.76%), CCO/LaCL (14.2 ± 0.55%), COO/OCO (10.8 ± 0.43%), and OOO (18.6 ± 0.64%). Through second-stage molecular distillation, the purity of interesterified product (MLCT) achieved 95.6%. Later, male C57BL/6J mice were applied to study whether the new structured lipid with MLCT has the efficacy of preventing the formation of obesity or not. After feeding with different diets for 6 weeks, MLCTs could reduce body weight and fat deposition in adipose tissue, lower plasma triacylglycerols (TG) (0.89 ± 0.16 mmol/L), plasma total cholesterol (TC) (4.03 ± 0.08 mmol/L), and hepatic lipids (382 ± 34.2 mg/mice) by 28.8%, 16.0%, and 30.5%, respectively, when compared to the control 2 group. This was also accompanied by increasing fecal lipids (113%) and the level of enzymes including cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), protein kinase A (PKA), hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) related to lipid mobilization in MLCT group. From the results, it can be concluded that MLCT reduced body fat deposition probably by modulating enzymes related to lipid mobilization in C57BL/6J mice.

Cinnamomum camphora Seed Kernel Oil Improves Lipid Metabolism and Enhances ß3-Adrenergic Receptor Expression in Diet-Induced Obese Rats.

The effects of dietary Cinnamomum camphora seed kernel oil (CCSKO) containing medium-chain triacylglycerols on lipid metabolism and mRNA and protein expression of ß-3 adrenergic receptor in adipose tissue were studied in diet-induced obese rats. High fat food-induced obese rats were randomly divided into CCSKO group, Lard group, Soybean oil (SOY) group and naturally restoring group (n = 10). Rats fed with low fat food were used as a normal control group. Significant decreases in body mass and abdominal fat mass/body mass after 12 weeks were found in CCSKO group as compared with Lard and SOY groups (p < 0.05). Levels of blood total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, free fatty acid, fasting insulin and insulin resistance in the CCSKO group were decreased significantly, and noradrenaline level and insulin sensitivity index in the CCSKO group were significantly higher than other groups. Meanwhile liver TC and triglyceride levels in the CCSKO group were also decreased markedly. Expression levels of ß3-adrenergic receptor mRNA and protein were higher in CCSKO group than in Lard and SOY groups. These results suggest that CCSKO may contribute to reduction of the body fat mass, promote lipid metabolism and up-regulate ß3-adrenergic receptor expression in high fat diet-induced obese rats.

Cinnamomum camphora Seed Kernel Oil Ameliorates Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Diet-Induced Obese Rats.

Cinnamomum camphora seed kernel oil (CCSKO) was found to reduce body fat deposition and improve blood lipid in both healthy and obese rats. The study was aimed to investigate the antioxidative stress and anti-inflammatory effects of CCSKO in high-fat-diet-induced obese rats. The obese rats were treated with CCSKO, lard, and soybean oil, respectively, for 12 wk. The level of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase, and catalase, and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ, interleukin (IL)-6, and P65 were compared among CCSKO, lard, and soybean oil groups. Our results showed that the level of T-AOC and activities of SOD and catalase were significantly increased and the level of MDA was significantly decreased in CCSKO group. In addition, CCSKO treatment reduced the activities of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamate-pyruvate transaminase, and levels of serum TNF-α, IL-6, and P65 through raising the level of PPAR-γ. In conclusion, CCSKO has, for the first time, been found to ameliorate oxidative stress and inflammation in high-fat-diet-induced obese rats.

Camphor Tree Seed Kernel Oil Reduces Body Fat Deposition and Improves Blood Lipids in Rats.

The total and positional fatty acid composition in camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) seed kernel oil (CKO) were analyzed, and for the first time, the effect of CKO on body fat deposition and blood lipids in rats was studied. The major fatty acids in CKO were determined to be decanoic acid (C10:0, 51.49%) and dodecanoic acid (C12:0, 40.08%), and uniformly distributed at Sn-1, 3, and Sn-2 positions in triglyceride (TG). Rats were randomly divided into control, CKO, lard, and soybean oil groups. At the end of the experiment, levels of blood lipids and the fats of abdomen in the rats were measured. The main organ were weighted and used for the histological examination. The results showed that body weight and fat deposition in CKO group were significantly lower than the lard and soybean groups. Moderate consumption of CKO was found to improve the levels of blood TG and low density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Acaricidal activity of compounds from Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl against the carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus.

BACKGROUND: Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) is one of the most important, highly polyphagous pests of a wide range of field and greenhouse crops throughout the world. The control of this mite is still based primarily on the use of synthetic chemical pesticides. In this study, we screened eight plant extracts from China and evaluated the natural compounds showing acaricidal properties from the plant extract, considering their potential use as an alternative to synthetic pesticides. RESULTS: In bioassay screening assays, the Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl extract showed significantly greater acaricidal activity against T. cinnabarinus than the other seven plant extracts tested. Five compounds were identified from the C. camphora extract via repeated column chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. All the compounds presented acaricidal activity, with 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol and ethyl oleate exhibiting the greatest activity. At 7 days after treatment in a potted seedling experiment, the LC50 values of 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol and ethyl oleate were found to be 1850.94 and 2481.65 mg kg(-1) respectively. Microscopic observations showed that the mites displayed the symptomology of poisoning. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that the C. camphora extract and its two active components show the potential to be developed as new natural acaricides for controlling carmine spider mites.

Lipozyme RM IM-catalyzed acidolysis of Cinnamomum camphora seed oil with oleic acid to produce human milk fat substitutes enriched in medium-chain fatty acids.

In the present study, a human milk fat substitute (HMFS) enriched in medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) was synthesized through acidolysis reaction from Cinnamomum camphora seed oil (CCSO) with oleic acid in a solvent-free system. A commercial immobilized lipase, Lipozyme RM IM, from Rhizomucor miehei, was facilitated as a biocatalyst. Effects of different reaction conditions, including substrate molar ratio, enzyme concentration, reaction temperature, and reaction time were investigated using response surface methodology (RSM) to obtain the optimal oleic acid incorporation. After optimization, results showed that the maximal incorporation of oleic acid into HMFS was 59.68%. Compared with CCSO, medium-chain fatty acids at the sn-2 position of HMFS accounted for >70%, whereas oleic acid was occupied predominantly at the sn-1,3 position (78.69%). Meanwhile, triacylglycerol (TAG) components of OCO (23.93%), CCO (14.94%), LaCO (13.58%), OLaO (12.66%), and OOO (11.13%) were determined as the major TAG species in HMFS. The final optimal reaction conditions were carried out as follows: substrate molar ratio (oleic acid/CCSO), 5:1; enzyme concentration, 12.5% (w/w total reactants); reaction temperature, 60 °C; and reaction time, 28 h. The reusability of Lipozyme RM IM in the acidolysis reaction was also evaluated, and it was found that it could be reused up to 9 times without significant loss of activities. Urea inclusion method was used to separate and purify the synthetic product. As the ratio of HMFS/urea increased to 1:2, the acid value lowered to the minimum. In a scale-up experiment, the contents of TAG and total tocopherols in HMFS (modified CCSO) were 77.28% and 12.27 mg/100 g, respectively. All of the physicochemical indices of purified product were within food standards. Therefore, such a MCFA-enriched HMFS produced by using the acidolysis method might have potential application in the infant formula industry.

Screening the antifungal activity of essential oils against decay fungi from palmyrah leaf handicrafts.

BACKGROUND: The whitish tender leaves of Palmyrah are used for making handicrafts. The problem with these articles is discolouration with time and become more brittle due to fungal attack. This could be prevented by some protective coating. Instead of expensive and harmful chemicals we decided to test natural plant essential oils to control fungal attack. Palmyrah leaf article decay fungi were isolated from two different sites of Jaffna peninsula. In this investigation Antifungal Activity of different plant essential oils from neem (Azadirachta indica), castor (Ricinus communis), citronella (Cymbopogon sp) and camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) obtained from local market have been evaluated against isolated fungi. For screening of Antifungal activity, tests and controls were set to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Percentage of Growth Inhibition. RESULTS: Morphologically three different types of Palmyrah leaf decay fungi were isolated and characterized as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium sp. Neem and castor oils have recorded no significant (0.05 > P) antifungal activity while citronella and camphor oils showed significantly different antifungal activity compared with control. Camphor oil and Citronella oil showed 100, 58.13% of average growth inhibition for A. niger. 96.38, 51.32% for A.flavus and 84.99, 72.76% for Penicillium sp respectively. Camphor oil showed highest percentage of growth inhibition at lowest minimum inhibitory concentration compared with citronella oil. Camphor oil was found to be highly antifungal and most effective against A niger, and A. flavus, compared with Penicillium sp and gave 100 percentage of growth inhibitions at 5, 1 and 15 ml/dl minimum inhibitory concentration respectively. CONCLUSION: Significantly higher broad-spectrum of antifungal activity was observed in camphor oil than other tested oils because it showed highest percentage of growth inhibition at lowest inhibitory concentration. Therefore it could be used for the development of new environmental friendly antifungal agent for the preservation of leafy handicrafts. Further formulation, field experiments are necessary to achieve this target.