Chicory (Cichorium intybus) sesquiterpene lactones were recently shown to be derived from a common sesquiterpene intermediate, (+)-germacrene A. Germacrene A is of interest because of its key role in sesquiterpene lactone biosynthesis and because it is an enzyme-bound intermediate in the biosynthesis of a number of phytoalexins. Using polymerase chain reaction with degenerate primers, we have i...

The essential oils of water-distilled aerial parts of Anthemis pseudocotula and Anthemis cretica subsp. pontica (Asteraceae) were analysed by GC-MS. As a result thirty-five and forty compounds were identified representing 93.1% and 89.0% of the oils, respectively. The main compounds of A. pseudocotula were 1,8-cineole (39.40%), camphor (9.36%), artemisiaketone (5.68%), filifolene (5.15%), and a...

The composition of the essential oil from leaves of Siparuna thecaphora (Poepp. et Endl.) A. DC. collected in Turrialba, Costa Rica, was determined by capillary GC/MS. Seventy-six compounds were identified corresponding to ca. 95% of the oil. The major components were germacrene D (32.7%), alpha-pinene (16.3%), beta-pinene (13.8%) and beta-caryophyllene (4.1%). Thirty-one minor compounds were i...

Salvia desoleana Atzei & V. Picci is an indigenous species in Sardinia island used in folk medicine to treat menstrual, digestive and central nervous system diseases. Nowadays, it is widely cultivated for the pleasant smell of its essential oil (EO), whose antimicrobial and antifungal activities have already been screened. This study evaluated the in vitro anti-Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2) ac...

The present work examines the potential of sesquiterpenoids to sensitize Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and modulate their susceptibility to the standard antibiotics ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, gentamicin and vancomycin. It was tested samples of three sesquiterpenoids: guaiazulene, nerolidol (racemic mixture of the cis and trans isomers) and germacrene D enriched natural extract. ...

The chemical composition of the essential oils of different Allium nigrum L. organs and the antibacterial activity were evaluated. The study is particularly interesting because hitherto there are no reports on the antibacterial screening of this species with specific chemical composition. Therefore, essential oils from different organs (flowers, stems, leaves and bulbs) obtained separately by h...

Guatteria pogonopus Martius, a plant belonging to the Annonaceae family, is found in the remaining Brazilian Atlantic Forest. In this study, the chemical composition and antitumor effects of the essential oil isolated from leaves of G. pogonopus was investigated. The chemical composition of the oil was determined by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. The in vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated against thre...

The essential oil composition of the aerial parts of Nepeta raphanorhiza is reported for the first time. Capillary GC-FID & GC-MS analysis of the essential oil led to the identification of 16 components accounting for 97.5% of the total oil. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons dominated the oil composition accounting for 65.3 % followed by monoterpene hydrocarbons constituting 19.5 % of the total oil co...

the essential oil of stachys lavandulifolia vahl (lamiaceae) was isolated by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts of the plant, with a yield of 0.25%. the chemical composition of volatile oil was analyzed by capillary gc and gc/ ms. the main components were germacrene-d (13.2%), ?-phellandrene (12.7%), ?-pinene (10.2%), myrcene (9.4%), ?-pinene (8.4%) and z-?-ocimene (5.8%).

Hydro-distilled volatile oils from the flowers and leaves of Eupatorium cannabinum L. which gathered in Touchal on Mountain Alborz (Tehran province) in Iran were investigated mainly by a combination of GC and GC/MS. Thirty-nine components were identified in the oils. The main constituents of the essential oils in flowers and leaves were germacrene D (27.3%, 37.1%), gemacrene B (12.4%, 11.7%) an...