Antifungal potential and structure activity relationship of carrot seed constituents.

The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro antifungal potential of carrot seed extracts, its essential oil, different fractions, isolated compounds, and their derivatives against three phytopathogenic rice fungi (Fusarium moniliforme, Bipolaris oryzae, and Rhizoctonia solani) using poisoned food technique. Carrot seed essential oil was extracted using hydrodistillation method and extracts were prepared using different solvents viz. dichloromethane, hexane, and methanol. The pure compounds daucene, carotol, and daucol were isolated using column chromatography and derivatized using different reagents. The study demonstrated that antifungal potential of all tested compounds varied in a dose dependent manner. Structure activity relationship of isolated and derivatized compounds showed that polar moieties possessed more antifungal potential as compared to non-polar moieties. The results suggested that carrot seed methanol extract and carotol possessed strong antifungal potential as compared to other components tested. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Phytopathogenic fungi are the major problems causing harmful damage to the rice crop. Only available control of these diseases is synthetic fungicides but their repeated use led to serious environmental issues, residual toxicity, and development of resistance. Therefore, it's better to find some natural alternatives. The current study was conducted to evaluate in vitro antifungal potential of carrot seed essential oil, its constituents and extracts against phytopathogenic fungi of rice. The methanol extract and carotol possessed highest antifungal potential which might be due to their polar nature. This information may add a new dimensions to biological activity of these natural molecules mainly in the field of agriculture as fungal diseases are found to be associated with major losses in agriculture. Hence these compounds can act as natural antifungal agents against rice fungi.

Antioxidant activity of Anethum graveolens L. essential oil constituents and their chemical analogues.

In the present study, Dill (Anethum graveolens) seed essential oil, its nonpolar and polar fractions, compounds isolated and derivatized were evaluated for their antioxidant potential using different in vitro assays. The major compounds carvone, limonene, and camphor were isolated from dill seed essential oil using column chromatography and characterized using spectroscopic techniques. Among all the tested components for antioxidant activity, carveol and perillyl alcohol were most effective (IC50 values < 0.16 mg/ml), whereas camphor was least effective (IC50 values > 10 mg/ml). All the tested compounds exhibited lower antioxidant potential than the standard. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Oxidation of food products was delayed by compounds known as antioxidants. The use of synthetic antioxidant is restricted because of carcinogenicity in human servings and plant-based natural antioxidant are preferred due to safety and less toxicity. The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the antioxidant activity of the different constituents of dill seed essential oil. The present study revealed that carvone and its derivatives are potent scavengers of free radicals which might be due to the presence of unsaturated hydroxyl group. Thus, natural antioxidants are the important source of alternative medicines and natural therapy in the pharmaceutical industry.

Cichorium intybus from India: GC-MS Profiling, Phenolic Content and in vitro Antioxidant Capacity of Sequential Soxhlet Extracted Roasted Roots

Abstract Research on the bio-activities and chemical composition of roasted C. intybus roots from India is very little. In present studies GC-MS analysis of volatile components of roasted C. intybus roots, phenolics and flavonoid content estimation and antioxidant potential of roasted C. intybus roots was carried out. Antioxidant potential was also evaluated using FRAP, DPPH, hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide and superoxide free radical scavenging method. Extracts were prepared by sequential Soxhlet extraction. GC-MS analysis of volatile components of roasted C. intybus root extracts revealed that 5-hydroxymethyl furfural was major volatile component in dichloromethane and methanol extract whereas lupeol and its derivative compounds were major constituents of hexane extract. Quantitative estimation for total phenols and flavonoids showed that the methanol extract of C. intybus roots contained highest phenolic and flavonoid content as compared to other extracts and also showed strong radical scavenging activities which were comparable with ascorbic acid used as standard. All extracts showed IC50 values less than 0.6 mg/mL furthermore, extracts of roasted C. intybus showed the high total antioxidant potential for the reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+. The C. intybus roots possess good antioxidant capacity even after roasting and all the extracts showed good activities.