Comparative study on the antioxidant activities of the different extracts and the composition of the oil extracted by n-hexane from Iranian Vitex pseudo-negundo.

Antioxidant activities of different extracts obtained from the aerial parts of Vitex pseudo-negundo from Kashan, central Iran, were evaluated for the first time in this study using ß-carotene/linoleic acid and scavenging of free-radical (DPPH) assays. Water extract showed the highest activity in both assays. GC-MS analysis of the oil extracted by n-hexane revealed 46 compounds with trans-ß-farnesene being the main component. Several new compounds, not reported in the previous literature, were identified in the essential oil of this chemo-type.

Comparative study of composition and biological activities of SDE prepared essential oils from flowers and fruits of two Hypericum species from central Iran.

Essential oil (EO) compositions of flowers and fruits of Hypericum perforatum L. and Hypericum scabrum L. growing wild in Kashan, central Iran, were determined by simultaneous steam distillation-solvent extraction method and analysed using GC-MS technique. Analysis revealed 28 identified compounds for H. perforatum, with two main components being α-pinene (25.36%) and α-amorphene (12.12%). Thirty-five compounds were identified in H. scabrum L. representing 98.60% of the oil with α-pinene (70.21%) and p-mentha-1,5-dien-8-ol (2.89%) as main components. Some new compounds were found in significant quantities which were not found in other chemotypes. The antioxidant activities of the EOs evaluated for the first time in this study using ß-carotene bleaching and DPPH assays seemed to be attributed directly to α-pinene contents in them. Antibacterial activities of both mentioned EOs were higher than that of their main constituent, α-pinene, against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.