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Background Eucalyptus essential oils and extracts are used since the ancient times in alternative medicine. The 1,8-cineole is the most significant constituent of Eucalyptus essential oil, while phenolic contents define the value of eucalyptus extracts. Based on the last considerations, interspecific variability of 1,8-cineole content, phenolics and antioxidant potentials among nine Eucalyptus taxa growing under the sub-humid bioclimate stage of Tunisia was investigated. Methods Essential oil profiling was assessed based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were assessed using Folin-Ciocalteau and aluminium chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. The antioxidant ability of Eucalyptus volatile metabolites and extracts was achieved based on two test systems namely DPPH and FRAP assays. Results Qualitative and quantitative variations in the composition of essential oils according to the studied taxon were shown. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents varied also significantly among the investigated samples. Based on the obtained results, the species Eucalyptus sideroxylon exhibits the highest 1,8-cineole content (76.24 ± 0.86), total phenolics and flavonoids contents (38.5 ± 1.4âmg GAE /g DW and 18.6 ± 0.3âmg RE /g DW, respectively). Moreover this species highlighted the highest free radical-scavenging ability and ferric reducing power for both essential oil and methanolic extracts. Chemometric multivariate analysis showed the classification of the nine studied taxa to three clusters. Conclusions The pattern of 1,8-cineole concentration, phenolic and flavonoid contents for the studied nine Eucalyptus species and hybrid showed E. sideroxylon species as the potential candidate for further improvement strategies regarding the production of eucalyptus essential oils and phenolics with high quality for pharmaceutical industry.
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OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate toxic activities of essential oils obtained from Rosmarinus officinalis and Lavandula stoechas against the fourth larval instars of Orgyia trigotephras.@*METHODS@#A total of 1 200 larvae were divided into three groups I II III. Group I was to investigate the effect of extracted essential oils from these aromatic plants as gastric disturbance. Bacillus thuringiensis and ethanol were used as control group. Group II was used as contact action and Group III was used as fumigant action. Decis and ethanol were used as control group. During the three experiments, the effect of essential oils on larvae was assessed.@*RESULTS@#The chemical composition of essential oils from two medicinal plants was determined and, their insecticidal effects on the fourth larval state of Orgyia trigotephras were assessed. The two simples presented an insecticidal activity, nevertheless Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil was less efficient compared to Lavandula stoechas one are discussed.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The relationship between the chemical composition and the biological activities is confirmed by the present findings. Therefore the potential uses of these essential oils as bioinsecticides can be considered as an alternative to the use of synthetic products.
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Objective: To evaluate toxic activities of essential oils obtained from Rosmarinus officinalis and Lavandula stoechas against the fourth larval instars of Orgyia trigotephras. Methods: A total of 1 200 larvae were divided into three groups I II III. Group I was to investigate the effect of extracted essential oils from these aromatic plants as gastric disturbance. Bacillus thuringiensis and ethanol were used as control group. Group II was used as contact action and Group III was used as fumigant action. Decis and ethanol were used as control group. During the three experiments, the effect of essential oils on larvae was assessed. Results: The chemical composition of essential oils from two medicinal plants was determined and, their insecticidal effects on the fourth larval state of Orgyia trigotephras were assessed. The two simples presented an insecticidal activity, nevertheless Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil was less efficient compared to Lavandula stoechas one are discussed. Conclusions: The relationship between the chemical composition and the biological activities is confirmed by the present findings. Therefore the potential uses of these essential oils as bioinsecticides can be considered as an alternative to the use of synthetic products.
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Volatiles from twelve wild Tunisian populations of Lavandula multifida L. growing in different bioclimatic zones were assessed by GC (RI) and GC/MS. Thirty-six constituents, representing 83.48% of the total oil were identified. The major components at the species level were carvacrol (31.81%), beta-bisabolene (14.89%), and acrylic acid dodecyl ester (11.43%). These volatiles, together with alpha-pinene, were also the main compounds discriminating the populations. According to these dominant compounds, one chemotype was revealed, a carvacrol/beta-bisabolene/acrylic acid dodecyl ester chemotype. However, a significant variation among the populations was observed for the majority of the constituents. A high chemical-population structure, estimated both by principal component analysis (PCA) and unweighted pair group method with averaging (UPGMA) cluster analysis based on Euclidean distances, was observed. Both methods allowed separation of the populations in three groups defined rather by minor than by major compounds. The population groups were not strictly concordant with their bioclimatic or geographic location. Conservation strategies should concern all populations, because of their low size and their high level of destruction. Populations exhibiting particular compounds other than the major ones should be protected first.