showing 20 related works from this author
Content variability of bioactive secondary metabolites in Hypericum perforatum L
2021
Abstract St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.; Hypericaceae) is a perennial medicinal herb widespread and largely used in folk medicine inside the Mediterranean basin. Many bioactive compounds have been identified within its extracts. Under a pharmacological point of view, the most important of them belong to the chemical classes of naphthodianthrones, phloroglucinols and polyphenols. Many factors have been claimed responsible for the phytochemical variability in Hypericum perforatum, such as genotype, geographical origin, harvesting stage and age of the plants. Yet, when harvested plant material is addressed to the industry, the standardization of the active ingredients over cultivation…
Phytochemical profiles, phototoxic and antioxidant properties of eleven Hypericum species - A comparative study
2018
Hypericum is one out of the nine genera belonging to the botanical family Clusiaceae Lindl (syn. Hypericaceae Juss.; APG III, 2009). The genus contains 484 species spread worldwide, one of which, Hypericum perforatum, is largely used in folk medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition, along with the antioxidant and phototoxic activity, of 11 Hypericum species grown in Sicily (H. perforatum L., H. aegypticum L., H. androsaemum L., H. calycinum L., H. hircinum L., H. hirsutum L., H. montanum L., H. patulum Thunb., H. perfoliatum L., H. pubescens Boiss., H. tetrapterum Fr.). Samples of flowering tops collected from these Hypericum species were extracted and analys…
Variability of Hypericins and Hyperforin in Hypericum Species from the Sicilian Flora
2019
Within Sicilian flora, the genus Hypericum (Guttiferae) includes 10 native species, the most popular of which is H. perforatum. Hypericum's most investigated active compounds belong to naphtodianthrones (hypericin, pseudohypericin) and phloroglucinols (hyperforin, adhyperforin), and the commercial value of the drug is graded according to its total hypericin content. Ethnobotanical sources attribute the therapeutic properties recognized for H. perforatum, also to other Hypericum species. However, their smaller distribution inside the territory suggests that an industrial use of such species, when collected from the wild, would result in an unacceptable depletion of their natural stands. This…
Increased illumination levels enhance biosynthesis of aloenin A and aloin B in Aloe arborescens Mill., but lower their per-plant yield
2021
Abstract Leaves of Aloe arborescens Mill. are a relevant source of secondary metabolites of pharmaceutical relevance. Notwithstanding, specialized cultivations of A. arborescens are still rather limited, and a straightforward agronomical research addressed to the obtainment of high-quality material is lacking. With the purpose to fill this gap, from 2016 to 2018, a trial was arranged to evaluate the growth and development of A. arborescens, along with the production of four active metabolites (aloin A and B, aloenin A, and isoaloeresin D) with varying some growth conditions. Two growth substrates (“A”- a commercial substrate, and “B”- the same substrate + 20 % perlite), two durations of pre…
Study of quantitative and qualitative variations in essential oils of Sicilian Rosmarinus officials L.
2015
In this study the chemical characterizations of 10 sicilian biotypes of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oils are reported. The main goal was to analyze the relationship between the essential oils yield and the geographical distribution of the species plants. The essential oils were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The statistical methods Hierarchical Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis were used to cluster biotypes according to the chemical composition of the essential oils. The essential oil yield ranged from 0.8 - 2.3 (v/w). 82 compounds have been identified, these represent 96.7-99.9% of the essential oil. The compounds mostly represented in the essential oils were: 1.8- C…
An integrated approach to the study of Hypericum occurring in Sicily
2020
An integrated approach to the study of taxa of the genus Hypericum occurring in Sicily is proposed. The results of morphological, biochemical, and molecular analyses are combined to better assess the relationships between the species investigated and test the suitability of DNA barcoding technique in the discrimination of these taxa. For the name Hypericum aegypticum subsp. webbii (Spach) N. Robson a lectotype is designated. For Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra a lectotype and a supporting epitype are designated. The presence of Hypericum perforatum L. subsp. perforatum is excluded from Sicily and the previous reports have to be referred to H. perforatum subsp. veronense (Schrank) Ces. Hyper…
Phenolic Profiles, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Hydrodistillation Wastewaters from Five Lamiaceae Species
2022
Distillation is the most widely used method to obtain an essential oil from plant material. The biomass used in the process is returned as a solid residue together with variable amounts of water rich in water-soluble compounds, which currently are not addressed to any further application. The scope of this work was to evaluate the phytochemical composition of wastewaters coming from hydrodistillation (DWWs) of five aromatic plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family, and to assess their in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The phenolic profiles of the DWWs were determined by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI/MS. Free radical scavenging ability, oxygen radical antioxidant capacity and su…
Essential oil characteristics of wild Sicilian oregano populations in relation to environmental conditions
2014
A study was carried out on the essential oil of Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum (Link) Ietswaart taken from thirteen wild populations found in different parts of Sicily, Italy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship that exists between essentials oil extracted from Sicilian wild populations of O. vulgare ssp. hirtum (Link) Ietswaart and various weather/climate and topographic factors in order to provide more information on aspects that influence the production potential of this species. The essential oils from the samples were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by a combination of gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS); se…
Variations of essential oil constituents in oregano (Origanum vulgare subsp. viridulum (= o. heracleoticum) over cultivation cycles
2020
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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi altered the hypericin, pseudohypericin, and hyperforin content in flowers of Hypericum perforatum grown under contrastin…
2016
St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a perennial herb able to produce water-soluble active ingredients (a.i.), mostly in flowers, with a wide range of medicinal and biotechnological uses. However, information about the ability of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to affect its biomass accumulation, flower production, and concentration of a.i. under contrasting nutrient availability is still scarce. In the present experiment, we evaluated the role of AMF on growth, flower production, and concentration of bioactive secondary metabolites (hypericin, pseudohypericin, and hyperforin) of H. perforatum under contrasting P availability. AMF stimulated the production of aboveground biomass und…
Biomolecular characterization of wild sicilian oregano: phytochemical screening of essential oils and extracts, and evaluation of their antioxidant a…
2013
An extensive survey of wild Sicilian oregano was made. A total of 57 samples were collected from various sites, followed by taxonomic characterization from an agronomic perspective. Based on morphological and production characteristics obtained from the 57 samples, cluster analysis was used to divide the samples into homogeneous groups, to identify the best biotypes. All samples were analyzed for their phytochemical content, applying a cascade-extraction protocol and hydrodistillation, to obtain the non volatile components and the essential oils, respectively. The extracts contained thirteen polyphenol derivatives, i.e., four flavanones, seven flavones, and two organic acids. Their qualitat…
Composition and variability of the essential oil of the flowers of Lavandula stoechas from various geographical sources
2015
Samples of flowers of wild Lavandula stoechas L. spp. stoechas populations were collected in three areas of Sicily (Italy) and were characterized in agronomic and chemical terms. Essential oil (EO) was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. GC-FID and GC-MS analyses permitted identification of 89 compounds from the EO. The samples were separated into 3 groups using PCA (Principal Component Analysis) statistical method, with reference to the chemical composition of the EO. All three Sicilian populations of lavender were identified as the fenchone chemotype with percentage content ranged between 52.8–71.1%. The population of Partinico showed the highest dry weight o…
Wild Sicilian Rosemary: Phytochemical and Morphological Screening and Antioxidant Activity Evaluation of Extracts and Essential Oils
2015
To identify the best biotypes, an extensive survey of Sicilian wild rosemary was carried out by collecting 57 samples from various sites, followed by taxonomic characterization from an agronomic perspective. All the biotypes collected were classified as Rosmarinus officinalis L. A cluster analysis based on the morphological characteristics of the plants allowed the division of the biotypes into seven main groups, although the characteristics examined were found to be highly similar and not area-dependent. Moreover, all samples were analyzed for their phytochemical content, applying an extraction protocol to obtain the nonvolatile components and hydrodistillation to collect the essential oil…
Study of quantitative and qualitative variations in essential oils of Sicilian oregano biotypes
2015
Essential oil (EO) was extracted using hydrodistillation from samples of Origanum vulgare subspecies hirtum (Link) Ietswaart, gathered from the wild in various parts of Sicily, Italy; GC-FID and GC-MS analyses were subsequently performed. The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between essential oil yields and the geographical distribution of oregano wild populations based on variations in environmental factors as collection sites. Moreover, the purpose was to group Origanum vulgare subspecies hirtum biotypes according to the chemical composition of the EO. The seven principal components in the EO was thymol (24.0–54.4%), γ-terpinene (9.8–30.5%), ρ-cymene (5.2–18.7%), α-terpine…
Agronomical evaluation of Sicilian biotypes of Lavandula stoechas L. spp. stoechas and analysis of the essential oils
2015
The aim of this study was to characterize wild lavender, which was collected in three different areas of Sicily (Italy),according to agronomic and chemical evaluation. The collection sites were located in Pantelleria island, Partinico (a warm sub-area of Lauretum) and Castelbuono (a middle sub-area of Lauretum). All the populations were identified as Lavandula stoechas L. ssp. stoechas. Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography– flame ionization detector (GC–FID) and GC–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). GC–FID and GC–MS analyses permitted the identification of 101 components from the essential oils. We analyzed only the flowers and leaves of L. stoechas …
Hypericum spp.: A Resource from Wild Mediterranean Flora for the Treatment of Mild Depression
2015
The present volume of the series, "Bioactive Phytochemicals: Perspectives for Modern Medicine - Vol. 3" with 21 original research and review articles written by eminent scientists and researchers from within India and abroad has been compiled, and the notable amongst which include: Lupeol as Anticancer Drug; Bioactive Phytochemicals as Phytomedicine and its Pharmacology and Toxicology of Genus Capparis; Artesunate with its Antimalarial Profile; Fractionation and Structural Characterization of Antimicrobials from Woodfordia fruticosa Kurz.; Exocyclic-Nitrogen Alkaloids in Herbalism as a Source of New Drugs; Naringin, a Citrus Flavonone Inhibits the Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)-Induced Forestomach Ca…
Phytochemical, ecological and antioxidant evaluation of wild Sicilian thyme: Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav.
2016
In a broad survey conducted throughout the Sicily region, 45 different sites were identified where thyme grows wild. All the biotypes collected were classified as Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. (syn. Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffmanns. & Link). Cluster analysis based on the main morphological characteristics of the plant led to the division of the biotypes into 3 major groups. All samples were analyzed for their secondary phytochemical metabolites identified in the extracts and the essential oils. LC-UV-DAD/ESI-MS and GC-FID/GC-MS have been applied to characterize the extracts and the essential oils, respectively. In the extracts, 15 flavonoid derivatives with taxifolin-di-O-glucoside and thymusin…
Cultivating for the Industry: Cropping Experiences with Hypericum perforatum L. in a Mediterranean Environment
2021
Hypericum perforatum is an intensively studied medicinal plant, and much experimental activity has been addressed to evaluate its bio-agronomical and phytochemical features as far. In most cases, plant material used for experimental purposes is obtained from wild populations or, alternatively, from individuals grown in vases and/or pots. When Hypericum is addressed to industrial purposes, the most convenient option for achieving satisfactory amounts of plant biomass is field cultivation. Pot cultivation and open field condition, however, are likely to induce different responses on plant’s metabolism, and the obtained yield and composition are not necessarily the same. To compare these manag…
Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum Essential Oil Prevented Biofilm formation and showed antibacterial activity against planktonic and sessile bacterial c…
2013
Essential oils from six different populations of Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum were compared for their antibiofilm properties. The six essential oils (A to F) were characterized by a combination of gas chromatography with flame ionization detector and gas chromatography with mass spectrometer detector analyses. All oils showed weak activity against the planktonic form of a group of Staphylococcus aureus strains and against a Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442 reference strain. The ability to inhibit biofilm formation was investigated at sub-MIC levels of 200, 100, and 50 m g/ml by staining sessile cells with safranin. Sample E showed the highest average effectiveness against all tested stra…
A Two-Year Bio-Agronomic and Chemotaxonomic Evaluation of Wild Sicilian Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) Berries and Leaves.
2019
A collection of nine Myrtus communis samples from different localities of Sicily was evaluated. Morphological traits and production characteristics have been chosen as parameters to arrange the samples into homogeneous groups and to identify the best biotypes for possible future agro-industrial exploitation. The plant material has been subjected to taxonomic characterization from biometric and phytochemical perspectives. Myrtle berries and leaves have been analyzed for their content in metabolites, applying a cascade extraction protocol for M. communis leaves and a single hydroalcoholic extraction for berries, whereas hydrodistillation procedures have been applied to obtain the essential oi…