Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Essential Oil of the Inflorescence of Anacamptis coriophora subsp. fragrans (Orchidaceae) from Tunisia.

The chemical composition of the essential oil produced by steam distillation of the inflorescences of naturally growing Anacamptis coriophora (L.) R. M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M. W. Chase subsp.fragrans (Pollini) R. M. Bateman, Pridgeon & M. W. Chase (Orchidaceae) from Kroumiria, north-west Tunisia was studied by GC-MS, which led to the identification of 19 volatile components, representing 97% of the oil. The main constituents were methyl-(E)-p-methoxycinnamate (29.3%), 13-heptadecyn-1-ol (18.6%), 2,5-dimethoxybenzyl alcohol (14.1%) and 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)-phenol (9.0%). DPPH radical scavenging revealed a weak antioxidant activity. In addition, the antiproliferative effects were evaluated on BxPC3 human pancreatic carcinoma cells and on 2008 human ovarian cancer cells showing significant effect. This is the first report of the chemical composition of essential oils obtained from A. coriophora subsp. fragrans inflorescences for North Africa. Further studies are needed to understand fully the possible mechanism of action behind the cytotoxic activity of the essential oil.

Essential Oil Constituents and Antioxidant Activity of Asplenium Ferns.

Two fern species Asplenium adiantum-nigrum L. and Asplenium trichomanes L. collected from the Kroumiria region (Northwest of Tunisia) were individually submitted to hydrodistillation in a Clevenger type apparatus. Volatile organic compounds were identified by GC-MS and GC-FID. Thus, 35 compounds were identified in A. adiantum-nigrum essential oil accounting for 77.5% of the whole constituents dominated by palmitic acid (34.5%); however, only 29 volatiles were identified in A. trichomanes showing a high amount of phytol, an odorous diterpene alcohol, representing 14.4% of the total oil contents. The total phenolic content and the antioxidant effects of crude extracts from both pteridophytes were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu and 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical-scavenging assays, respectively. A. adiantum-nigrum ethyl acetate extract is shown to be lower in total phenolic contents (49.3 mg gallic acid equivalent/g) than similar extract from A. trichomanes (55.4 mg GAE/g).

Volatile Profile of Herniaria fontanesii Growing Spontaneously in Tunisia.

The essential oil extracted from Desfontaine's rupturewort, Herniaria fontanesii J. Gay subsp. fontanesii growing wildly in Tunisia, was analyzed using GC and GC-MS techniques. The free radical scavenging capacity and total phenol contents of three crude extracts having different polarities (n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol) were examined. Thus, a total of 35 constituents were identified in the Desfontaine's rupturewort essential oil representing 89.8% of the whole constituents. The oil was dominated by hexadecanoic acid, caryophyllene oxide, terpin-4-ol, khusimone and trans-sabinene hydrate. The total phenolic contents ranged from 16.91 to 92.27 mg of gallic acid/g of dry weight and they were found to be significantly higher in methanol than in polar ethyl acetate and hexane extracts. Correlations were observed between the phenolic contents and the antioxidant properties. Thus, the antioxidant activity of the methanol extract was superior to that of all samples tested (IC50 = 0.21 ± 0.04 mg/mL).

Essential Oil Composition, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic and Antiviral Activities of Teucrium pseudochamaepitys Growing Spontaneously in Tunisia.

The chemical composition, antioxidant, cytotoxic and antiviral activities of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Teucrium pseudochamaepitys (Lamiaceae) collected from Zaghouan province of Tunisia are reported. The essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Thirty-one compounds were identified representing 88.6% of the total essential oil. Hexadecanoic acid was found to be the most abundant component (26.1%) followed by caryophyllene oxide (6.3%), myristicin (4.9%) and α-cubebene (3.9%). The antioxidant capacity of the oil was measured on the basis of the scavenging activity to the stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The IC50 value of the oil was evaluated as 0.77 mg·mL(-1). In addition, the essential oil was found to possess moderate cytotoxic effects on the HEp-2 cell line (50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50)=653.6 µg·mL(-1)). The potential antiviral effect was tested against Coxsackievirus B (CV-B), a significant human and mouse pathogen that causes pediatric central nervous system disease, commonly with acute syndromes. The reduction of viral infectivity by the essential oil was measured using a cytopathic (CPE) reduction assay.

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oil from aerial parts of Teucrium flavum L. subsp. flavum growing spontaneously in Tunisia.

The objectives of this study were to chemically characterise and evaluate the antioxidant potential of the essential oil from Teucrium flavum L. subsp. flavum growing spontaneously in Tunisia. The volatile oil was extracted by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts in a Clevenger type apparatus. Forty constituents were identified via GC and GC-MS analysis. ß-caryophyllene (32.5%) and α-humulene (17.8%) were the most abundant components. The evaluation of free radical scavenging activity using stable DPPH free radical showed that the volatile oil exhibits a moderate antioxidant activity and reduces DPPH to 50% at EC50 value of 1230 µg mL(-1).

Comparative study on the chemical constituents of essential oils from different organs of the Sicilian Kundmannia (Kundmannia sicula L.) DC. (Apiaceae) growing spontaneously in Tunisia.

Essential oils from odorous and volatile compounds possessing several therapeutic benefits are considered of a paramount importance in everyday human life. This study deals with a comparative study of essential oils from different parts of an aromatic plant Kundmannia sicula (L.) DC. (Apiaceae) growing in Tunisia. The hydro-distilled essential oils of the leaves and inflorescences with mature seeds (IMS) of K. sicula were analysed for the first time by gas chromatography equipped with flame ionisation detector and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Fifty leaves and 47 IMS constituents were identified, accounting for 97.9% and 98.2% of the total oil, respectively. The major compounds identified from the leaves and IMS oils were isocurcumenol (9.9-10.1%), hexadecanoic acid (9.5-10.9%), spathulenol (6.9-3.4%), 10-epi-γ-eudesmol (6.3-5.5%), α-cubebene (5.9-6.1%) and trans-dihydro occidentalol (52-6.6%). The essential oil consists mainly of oxygenated monoterpenes (50.7-53.2%).