Chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oil from Cleome rutidosperma DC.

Cleome rutidosperma DC, commonly known in Jamaica as 'consumption-weed' is a plant traditionally used in folklore for treating tuberculosis and other infectious and chronic ailments. We evaluate for the first time the chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oil components of the complete aerial parts of this plant. The essential oil obtained by steam distillation (0.02%) was analyzed by a combination of gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID), gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and retention index (RI). The volatile oil of C. rutidosperma was dominated by oxygenated diterpenes (67.6%); with (Z)-phytol (65.1%) being the single most abundant constituent. C. rutidosperma aerial essential oil exhibited moderate inhibition against the activity of recombinant arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) from Mycobacterium marinum (IC50 22.20 ±â€¯1.80 µg/µL), while, racemic phytol had an inhibition with an IC50 of 22.33 µg/µL ±â€¯0.50 µg/µL, thus accounting for the NAT inhibition imparted by the crude oil. Inhibition of NAT, a key enzyme in mycobacterial growth may be the pathway in which phytol, shown in this study to interact with the active site using in-silico methods, renders its previously demonstrated anti-tubercular properties. The phytol rich essential oil also demonstrated antimicrobial activity against all nine human pathogenic bacteria and the fungus strain assayed, with the most significant inhibitory activity against Bacillus cereus and justifies the need for further evaluation and development of the essential oils from this plant.

Chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oil from Jamaican Cleome serrata.

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from the aerial parts of Cleome serrata by hydrodistillation was analyzed by employing GC-FID, GC-MS and RI. Fourteen compounds comprising 90.4% of the total oil composition were characterized. The main components identified were (Z)-phytol (53.0%) and di(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) (14.7%). The oil was evaluated for its in vitro antimicrobial activities against nine pathogenic microorganisms using the filter paper disc diffusion method. Moderate antimicrobial activity was observed against five of the pathogens assayed. In addition, the essential oil was tested against the sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius elegantulus. Strong knockdown insecticidal activity was observed.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils from Cleome spinosa.

Five different essential oil extractions of the aerial parts of Cleome spinosa Jacq. were examined. The oils obtained by hydrodistillation of the whole aerial parts, aerial parts without flowers (fruit, leaves and stem), flowers, fruits and leaves have been examined by GC-FID and GC-MS. The chemical profiles of the oils reveal the dominance of oxygenated sesqui- and diterpenes, with the exception of the fruit oil, which contained a high content of fatty acids. The most abundant compounds from the whole aerial parts were (Z)-phytol (31.3%), integerrimine (5.5%) and incensole (4.0%). The major compounds from the aerial portion without flowers were caryophyllene oxide (10.5%), (-)-spathulenol (7.5%) and Z-phytol (6.9%). In the flower oil, the main components were 7-alpha-hydroxy manool (23.8%), incensole (9.2%) and sclareol (8.7%). The chief constituents in the fruit oil were tetradecanoic acid (40.6%), (Z)-phytol (6.58%) and sclareol (4.5%). In the leaf oil, (Z)-phytol (19.5%), 7-alpha-hydroxy manool (6.8%) and caryophyllene oxide (4.36%) were the predominant compounds. Antimicrobial activity of the oil obtained from the whole aerial part was evaluated against nine microbial strains using a filter paper disc-diffusion method. The volatile oil showed moderate action against seven of the eight bacteria strains used, with significant inhibitory activity against Streptococcus pyogenes Group A when compared with the standard antibiotics, ampicillin and gentamicin. The fungus, Candida albicans was less sensitive to the essential oil. The oils showed moderate insecticidal activity against Cylas formicarius elegantalus, but possessed no antioxidant activity as indicated by the DPPH method. This represents the first report on the chemical composition of the essential oils from C. spinosa found in Jamaica and the in vitro antioxidant, insecticidal and antimicrobial potential of the oil from the aerial parts.

Sesquiterpene and acyclic diterpenes from Hyptis verticillata Jacq.

From the methanolic extract of the plant Hyptis verticillata Jacq, was isolated five compounds: the novel compounds cadina-10(15)-en-3-one and 3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadec-1-en-3-ol and the known compounds 3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadec-2-en-1-ol, 7,11,15-trimethyl-3-methylenehexadecane-1,2-diol and myo-inositol. All structures were established by spectroscopic means.

Abietane diterpeniods from Hyptis verticillata.

Seven abietane diterpenoids were isolated from the roots of Hyptis verticillata (Labiatae). One is a novel natural product, 7-acetoxy-16-benzoxy-12-hydroxyabieta-8,12-diene-11,14-dione (1), while the other six known compounds are 11,14 dihydroxy-12-methoxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-7-one (2), 11,14-dihydroxy-12-methoxy- 18(4-->3betaH) abeo-abieta-4(19),8,11,13-tetraene-7-one (3), 7-acetoxy-12-methoxyabieta-8,12-diene-11,14-dione (4), royleanone (5), 7,6-dehydroroyleanone (6) and 7-acetoxyhorminone (7). All structures were elucidated by spectroscopic and mass spectrometric means.

Biological activity and chemical composition of the essential oil from Jamaican Hyptis verticillata Jacq.

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Hyptis verticillata Jacq. was elucidated by a combination of GC and GC-MS analyses. The oil was dominated by the sesquiterpenoids cadina-4,10(15)-dien-3-one (15.1%) (1) and aromadendr-1(10)-en-9-one (squamulosone) (30.7%) (2). The oil exhibited chemosterilant activities against the cattle tick, Boophilus microplus Canest., and toxic action against adult Cylas formicarius elegantulus Summer, the most destructive pest of sweet potato (Ipomoea species).

Investigation of plants used in Jamaican folk medicine for anti-bacterial activity

We have started a systematic scientific study of folklore medicinal plants currently used as alternative medicine in Jamaican society. In this initial study, extracts of plants widely used by the islanders are studied for antibacterial activity against five common pathogens; Streptococcus group A, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. These studies revealed that 25 percent (approximately) of the plant extracts had antimicrobial activity against at least one of the microbes used. Subsequent to these observations, extracts from Mikania micrantha were examined in detail. This led to the isolation of two sesquiterpenoids, mikanolide and dihydromikanolide, with activity against S. aureus and C. albicans. The results suggest that traditional folk medicine could be used as a guide in our continuing search for new natural products with potential medicinal properties.(Au)

Acaricidal and insecticidal activities of cadina-4, 10 (15)-dien-3-one

The novel assingment of 13C and 1HNMR data for cadina-4,10(15)-dien-3-one obtained from Hyptis verticillata is presented. The study revealed that cadina-4,10(15)-dien-3-one possesses chemosterilant activities against the economically important cattle tick, Boophilus microplus, and toxic action against adult Cylas formicarius the most destructive pest of sweet potato (I pomoea sp.) (AU)