Alessandro Menghini

Traditional phytotherapy in the Peninsula Sorrentina, Campania, Southern Italy

A study on the wild and cultivated medicinal plants used in the Peninsula Sorrentina (southern Italy) is reported; 129 plants distributed among 53 different families beloning to Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms are used in the treatment of various human diseases. The use of some species is reported for the first time in this paper.

Antimicrobial activities of various essential oils against foodborne pathogenic or spoilage moulds

The use of essential oils in the food industry, as natural sanitizing agents, requires the definition of optimal conditions. The aim of the present work was to evaluate some antimicrobial activity parameters as mycelial growth inhibition, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of six essential oils against Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus,Chaetomium globosum, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium pinophilum, Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma viride. The antimicrobial activity of essential oils was monitored by the macrodiluition technique. The mycelial growth inhibition, fungistatic and fungicidal concentrations were recorded for each strain that showed sensitivity to the essential oils. The essential oils of catnip, cinnamon, tea tree and thyme essential oils exhibited a large spectrum antimicrobial activities; those of clary sage and laurel inhibited the mycelial growth in a few fungal strains. The essential oils of cinnamon and thyme had the lowest MIC and MFC values against all the fungi assayed, followed by catnip, tea tree, clary sage and laurel. The use of these natural products rather than, the currently used antifungal chemicals, may be of interest given that: i) essential oils are of natural origin which means they are safer for human health and the environment and ii) there is less chance that the pathogenic microorganisms will develop resistance.

Sesquiterpene acids from Dittrichia viscosa

Abstract Dittrichia viscosa afforded in addition to compounds reported previously, ilicic acid and two new sesquiterpene acids. The structures of the new compounds were established by chemical and spectral methods.

Composition of the Oil of Sideritis syriaca L. from Italy

Abstract The oils from leaves and inflorescences of Sideritis syriaca L. grown and harvested in Italy were analyzed by GC/MS. The major components in the oil from leaves contained hexadecanoic acid (31.1%), epi-α-bisabolol (14.5%), benzyl benzoate (7.5%), and (E)-caryophyllene (6.4%), while in the oil from the inflorescences contained epi-α-bisabolol (25.7%), benzyl benzoate (17.7%), hexadecanoic acid (7.8%), β-caryophyllene (7.3%), and (Z)-α-bisabolene (6.0%).

Essential Oil Components in the Epigeous and Hypogeous Parts of Meum athamanticum Jacq.

Abstract The essential oils from the epigeous (above ground) and hypogeous (below ground) parts of Meum athamanticum Jacq., which were obtained by hydro-distillation, were subjected to analysis by GC and GC/MS. The major components were found to be (E)-β-ocimene (34.9%), p-cymene (12.1%), (Z)-β-ocimene (10.2%) and δ-3-carene (6.2%) in the epigeous part oil and (Z)-ligustilide (36.2%), (E)-β-ocimene (14.4%) and (Z)-3-butylidene phthalide (6.3%) from the hypogeous part oil.

A nor-sesquiterpene-γ-lactone found in Crepis pygmaea

Abstract The isolation and structural elucidation of a novel nor-sesquiterpene-γ-lactone are reported.

Pigment content and methyl chavicol production in Agastache foeniculum Kuntze cultured in vitro

ABSTRACT Agastache foeniculum Kuntze was cultivated in vitro in order to initiate a clonal selection of ecotypes and chemotypes. The shoots showed well-formed secretory structures on the leaf lamina. The production of methyl chavicol and trans-anethole was examined on the shoots cultured in vitro and compared to other plantlets of the same clonal population which were grown in the greenhouse. Under all the experimental conditions examined, Agastache foeniculum produced high percentages of methyl chavicol and trace amounts of trans-anethole. Addition of shikimic acid to the culture media, increased the concentration of chlorophyll (a and b), some carotenoids and methyl chavicol with respect to untreated media. A direct correlation between methyl chavicol production and pigment concentration was not observed.

Composition of the Essential Oil of Dictamnus albus L. from Italy

Abstract The oils from the leaves and flowers of Dictamnus albus L. grown and harvested in Italy were analyzed by GC/MS. The major components in the oil from leaves were germacrene D (38.1%), and phytol (28.9%), while in the oil from the flowers the major components were limonene (19.1%), γ-terpinene (11.1%) and citronellol (10.8%).

Quantitative TLC of the Flavonoid Content of Passiflora incarnata Herba

The flavonoid content of Passiflora incarnata herba, which has been related to the pharmacological activity of drug, shows a great variability both qualitatively and quantitatively. Therefore the standardization of this herbal medicine is essential. As an alternative to HPLC methods, a quantitative TLC method has been validated. The separation conditions include: a single step extraction with methanol; the separation of the main flavonoids on RP-18 TLC-plate using a mobile phase containing H 3 PO 4 ; the direct densitometric determination at 355 nm without spray reagent; the use of only one commercially available standard, isovitexin. The method is rapid, reliable and requires no pre-purification steps; the selected chromatographic conditions allow a good separation of isovitexin from all other flavonoids so that it is possible to express separately the isovitexin content and the total flavonoid content expressed as isovitexin. The chromatograms show satisfactory separations of the flavonoids and are useful as fingerprints for further comparison between samples of different origin, or during extraction methods and stability tests.