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Chemical Compositions and Biological Activities of Essential Oils

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (24 December 2020) | Viewed by 23327

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Carmen Formisano

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Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Domenico Montesano, 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
Interests: phytochemicals; polyphenols; biological activity; essential oils; medicinal chemistry; NMR spectroscopy; GC-MS and LC-MS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Vincenzo De Feo

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Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Interests: herbs; essential oils; natural extracts; cytotoxicity; antimicrobial; biofilm
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Filomena Nazzaro

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Istituto di Scienze dell’Alimentazione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISA-CNR), Via Roma 64, 83100 Avellino, Italy
Interests: antimicrobial activity of natural extracts/essential oils; microencapsulation of bacteria; entrappment of secondary metabolites; development of functional beverages; quorum sensing; biofilm; innovative technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past years, interest in botanical insecticides has increased as a result of environmental concerns and insect populations becoming resistant to conventional chemicals. To defend themselves against herbivores and pathogens, plants naturally release a variety of volatiles including various alcohols, terpenes, and aromatic compounds. Essential oils from different plant species possess ovicidal, larvicidal, and repellent properties against various insect species and are regarded as environmentally compatible pesticides. In spite of the widespread recognition that plant essential oils and/or their constituents are reported as safe products for users and the environment, few pest control products based on plant essential oils have appeared in the market place. This may be a consequence of regulatory barriers to commercialization or a need for more studies on selectivity against target pests. This Special Issue will publish contributions on aspects of essential oils as natural insecticides, as well as the development of new systems (i.e., polymers entrapping EOs) that can inhibit the growth and infection of crops by phytopathogens. Reviews, original research, and articles that make substantial advances within this field are invited to contribute to this editorial project.

Prof. Dr. Carmen Formisano
Prof. Vincenzo De Feo
Prof. Dr. Filomena Nazzaro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Secondary metabolites
Natural compounds
Essential oils
Aromatic plants
Crop contamination
Natural herbicides

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 2240 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Novel Microwave Distillation Technique for the Isolation of Cannabis sativa L. Essential Oil and Gas Chromatography Analyses for the Comprehensive Characterization of Terpenes and Terpenoids, Including Their Enantio-Distribution

by Giuseppe Micalizzi, Filippo Alibrando, Federica Vento, Emanuela Trovato, Mariosimone Zoccali, Paolo Guarnaccia, Paola Dugo and Luigi Mondello

Molecules 2021, 26(6), 1588; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26061588 - 13 Mar 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4253

Abstract

A microwave distillation method was optimized for the extraction and isolation of cannabis essential oil from fresh and dried hemp inflorescences. The developed method enabled us to obtain a distilled product rich in terpenes and terpenoid compounds, responsible of the typical and unique smell of the cannabis plant. The distillate from different hemp cultivars, including Kompolti, Futura 75, Carmagnola, Felina 32 and Finola were characterized by using a gas chromatograph equipped with both mass spectrometer and flame ionization detectors. In a single chromatographic run, the identity and absolute amounts of distilled compounds were determined. Peak assignment was established using a reliable approach based on the usage of two identification parameters, named reverse match, and linear retention index filter. Absolute quantification (mg g⁻¹) of the analytes was performed using an internal standard method applying the flame ionization detector (FID) response factors according to each chemical family. An enantio-GC-MS method was also developed in order to evaluate the enantiomeric distribution of chiral compounds, an analytical approach commonly utilized for establishing the authenticity of suspicious samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Compositions and Biological Activities of Essential Oils)

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12 pages, 1090 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ultrasound-Assisted Hydrodistillation of Essential Oil from Celery Seeds (Apium graveolens L.) and Its Biological and Aroma Profiles

by Justyna Zorga, Alina Kunicka-Styczyńska, Radosław Gruska and Krzysztof Śmigielski

Molecules 2020, 25(22), 5322; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules25225322 - 14 Nov 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3059

Abstract

The aim of the research was to increase the efficiency of the hydrodistillation process and determine the volatile composition, biological activity, and aroma profile of essential oil from celery seeds (Apium graveolens L.). The essential oil was extracted from the plant material by ultrasonic hydrodistillation with higher efficiency when compared with classical hydrodistillation. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the impedimetric method for the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and yeast Candida vini as well as moulds Aspergillus niger and Penicillium expansum with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) (μL/mL) values: 30, 10, 20, 3, 30, 40, and 40, respectively. The oil possessed very weak 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) antioxidant activity with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of 81.6 g/L. Initial studies of the aroma profile indicated that the perception of the fragrance of the oil could be related to the sex of the panellists. According to women, the fragrance of celery seeds oil was intense herb-like. From the men’s point of view, it had a fresh, mossy, and mushroom scent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Compositions and Biological Activities of Essential Oils)

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17 pages, 2757 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimal Extraction of Ocimum basilicum Essential Oil by Association of Ultrasound and Hydrodistillation and Its Potential as a Biopesticide Against a Major Stored Grains Pest

by Eridiane da Silva Moura, Lêda Rita D’Antonino Faroni, Fernanda Fernandes Heleno, Alessandra Aparecida Zinato Rodrigues, Lucas Henrique Figueiredo Prates and Maria Eliana Lopes Ribeiro de Queiroz

Molecules 2020, 25(12), 2781; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules25122781 - 16 Jun 2020

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5223

Abstract

The essential oil of basil (Ocimum basilicum) has significant biological activity against insect pests and can be extracted through various techniques. This work aimed to optimize and validate the extraction process of the essential oil of O. basilicum submitted to different drying temperatures of the leaves and extracted by the combination of a Clevenger method and ultrasound. The biological activity of the extracted oil under different conditions was evaluated for potential control of Sitophilus zeamais. The extraction method was optimized according to the sonication time by ultrasound (0, 8, 19, 31 and 38 min) and hydrodistillation (20, 30, 45, 60 and 70 min) and drying temperature (20, 30, 45, 60 and 70 °C). The bioactivity of the essential oil was assessed against adults of S. zeamais and the effects of each variable and its interactions on the mortality of the insects were evaluated. The best yield of essential oil was obtained with the longest sonication and hydrodistillation times and the lowest drying temperature of leaves. Higher toxicity of the essential oil against S. zeamais was obtained by the use of ultrasound for its extraction. The identification and the relative percentage of the compounds of the essential oil were performed with a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass selective detector. The performance of the method was assessed by studying selectivity, linearity, limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), precision and accuracy. The LOD and LOQ values for linalool were 2.19 and 6.62 µg mL⁻¹ and for estragole 2.001 and 6.063 µg mL⁻¹, respectively. The coefficients of determination (R²) were >0.99. The average recoveries ranged between 71 and 106%, with coefficient of variation ≤6.4%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Compositions and Biological Activities of Essential Oils)

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17 pages, 3869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surfactantless Emulsions Containing Eugenol for Imidacloprid Solubilization: Physicochemical Characterization and Toxicity against Insecticide-Resistant Cimex lectularius

by Mariano Cáceres, Eduardo Guzmán, Agustín Alvarez-Costa, Francisco Ortega, Ramón G. Rubio, Carlos Coviella, Pablo L. Santo Orihuela, Claudia V. Vassena and Alejandro Lucia

Molecules 2020, 25(10), 2290; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules25102290 - 13 May 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3191

Abstract

Synthetic insecticides have been used for a long time as one of the most effective tools for insect pest control. However, the re-emergence of insect pests and their fast development of resistance, as has occurred for pyrethroid-resistant bed bugs Cimex lectularius L., make it necessary to develop new and safe strategies for effective pest control. This has fostered the research on new eco-sustainable formulations based on essential oils, which allows reducing the impact associated with the intensive use of synthetic insecticides on the environment and their effects on human health. This research explores the stability of water/eugenol/ethanol surfactantless emulsions loaded with imidacloprid (0.003 wt%), and their toxicity against a resistant bed bug strain. The results have shown that these emulsions enable the solubilization of a poorly water-soluble drug, such as the imidacloprid, without any significant modification of their stability. Furthermore, the application of the obtained formulations against the pyrethroid-resistant bed bug results in mortality in the 50–85% range upon topical and spray applications, with the increase of the eugenol content enhancing the effectiveness of the formulations. It may be expected that the ternary water/eugenol/ethanol mixtures could be further developed in the preparation of ready to use formulations, enabling the dispersion of insecticides for pest control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Compositions and Biological Activities of Essential Oils)

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Review

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15 pages, 749 KiB

Open AccessReview

Essential Oils Extracted from Different Species of the Lamiaceae Plant Family as Prospective Bioagents against Several Detrimental Pests

by Asgar Ebadollahi, Masumeh Ziaee and Franco Palla

Molecules 2020, 25(7), 1556; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules25071556 - 28 Mar 2020

Cited by 112 | Viewed by 6667

Abstract

On the basis of the side effects of detrimental synthetic chemicals, introducing healthy, available, and effective bioagents for pest management is critical. Due to this circumstance, several studies have been conducted that evaluate the pesticidal potency of plant-derived essential oils. This review presents the pesticidal efficiency of essential oils isolated from different genera of the Lamiaceae family including Agastache Gronovius, Hyptis Jacquin, Lavandula L., Lepechinia Willdenow, Mentha L., Melissa L., Ocimum L., Origanum L., Perilla L., Perovskia Kar., Phlomis L., Rosmarinus L., Salvia L., Satureja L., Teucrium L., Thymus L., Zataria Boissier, and Zhumeria Rech. Along with acute toxicity, the sublethal effects were illustrated such as repellency, antifeedant activity, and adverse effects on the protein, lipid, and carbohydrate contents, and on the esterase and glutathione S-transferase enzymes. Chemical profiles of the introduced essential oils and the pesticidal effects of their main components have also been documented including terpenes (hydrocarbon monoterpene, monoterpenoid, hydrocarbon sesquiterpene, and sesquiterpenoid) and aliphatic phenylpropanoid. Consequently, the essential oils of the Lamiaceae plant family and their main components, especially monoterpenoid ones with several bioeffects and multiple modes of action against different groups of damaging insects and mites, are considered to be safe, available, and efficient alternatives to the harmful synthetic pesticides. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Compositions and Biological Activities of Essential Oils)

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