Bruno Tirillini

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from Ferula glauca L. (F. communis L. subsp. glauca) growing in Marche (central Italy)

The essential oil obtained from different parts of Ferula glauca L. (formerly considered as a subspecies of F. communis) growing in Marche (central Italy), was analyzed for the first time by GC-FID and GC-MS. The major volatiles were (E)-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide in leaves, alpha-pinene, myrcene and germacrene D in flowers, alpha- and beta-pinene in fruits, (E)-beta-farnesene, myristicin and elemicin in roots, respectively. The differences in composition detected with respect to F. communis, made the volatile fraction a reliable marker to distinguish between them, and confirm the botanical data at the base of their discrimination. Furthermore, the oil was assayed for its antimicrobial activity by the broth microdilution method. B. subtilis was found to be the most sensitive microorganism, with the lowest MIC values.

The volatile organic compounds of black truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vitt.) from Middle Italy

The volatile organic compounds released by Tuber melanosporum Vitt. and the variation induced by the storage temperature were determined by purge and trap methods. Two aldehydes (2- and 3-methylbutanal) and two alcohols (2- and 3-methylbutanol) play an impact role, while sulphur compounds, present at trace levels, may round off the flavour. On storage all these compounds are lost by oxidation or evaporation, but at 0°C a strong amylic fermentation occurs, resulting in an increase of the impact compounds concentrations.

Grapefruit: the last decade acquisitions.

This review reports the last decade acquisitions on grapefruit. New coumarins and limonoids were isolated and characterised. The bioavailability of many drugs was tested with grapefruit juice (GJ) coadministration; the inhibition on cytochrome P450 seems due to a synergic action between flavonoids and coumarins. Antimicrobial, antifeeding, insecticidal, and antitumour activities were also reported.

Volatile Compounds of the White Truffle (Tuber magnatum Pico) from Middle Italy

The concentrations of the volatile components of the white truffle (Tuber magnatum Pico), determined by purge and trap methods, showed the impact role of 2,4-dithiapentane. The degradation of the aroma showed great dependence on the storage conditions. At 0°C amyl alcohols are released, while at room temperature the conversion of 2,4-dithiapentane into dimethyl disulphide becomes the most relevant alteration of the flavour.

The volatile organic compounds from the mycelium of Tuber borchii Vitt.

The mycelium of T. borchii (characterized by DNA analysis) grown in sterile liquid medium produced some VOCs. The VOCs were retained on carbographs by passing a flow of helium, isolated and characterized in a GC-MS equipment after a thermal desorption. The compounds present in the VOCs from the mycelium cultures, but not in the VOCs from the control cultures, contained 29 compounds. The main compounds were 1,3-ditertbutylbenzene (16.1 ng/l), 3-methylheptane (9.2 ng/l), butan-2-one (8.8 ng/l), ethynylbenzene (5.6 ng/l), and octan-3-one (4.9 ng/l).

Temperature-dependent evolution of volatile organic compounds in Tuber borchii from Italy

The concentrations of the volatile organic compounds of the truffle Tuber borchii have been determined by gas solid extraction and purge and trap injection in GC–MS, and their variations were observed during storage. In fresh samples 1-octen-3-ol is the main volatile product, together with lower amounts of alcohols, aldehydes and 2- and 3-methylthiophenes as the only sulphur compounds. The release of (E)-2-pentenal is the most important degradation pattern at low temperatures, while bis-3-methylbutyl disulphide, 2-methyl-4,5-dihydrothiophene and 3-methyl-4,5-dihydrothiophene are evolved at room temperature. Copyright

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils from several Hypericum taxa (Guttiferae) growing in central Italy (Appennino Umbro-Marchigiano).

The chemical composition of the essential oils of nine taxa from seven sections of Hypericum L. (Guttiferae; H. perforatum subsp. perforatum, H. perforatum subsp. veronense, H. calycinum, H. montanum, H. richeri subsp. richeri, H. hyssopifolium, H. hirsutum, H. hircinum subsp. majus, and H. tetrapterum) occurring in central Italy (Appennino Umbro‐Marchigiano) was analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. A total of 186 compounds were identified in the different species and subspecies, accounting for 86.9–92.8% of the total oils. The major fraction of the oil was always represented by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (30.3–77.2%), while quantitative differences occurred between the other classes of volatiles depending on the taxa considered. Chemical composition of the nine Hypericum entities with respect to the taxonomical classification was discussed. Essential oils obtained from six taxa, i.e., H. perforatum subsp. perforatum, H. perforatum subsp. veronense, H. calycinum, H. richeri subsp. richeri, H. hirsutum and H. tetrapterum, were also tested for their antimicrobial properties against five different microbial strains by the broth‐microdilution method, and they were found to have significant activity (expressed as MIC) on B. subtilis, moderate activity on C. albicans and S. aureus, and weak activity on E. coli and E. faecalis, the most active being those from H. hirsutum, H. richeri subsp. richeri, and H. tetrapterum.

Determination of aflatoxins in peanut meal by LC/MS with a particle beam interface

SummaryA new method for the analysis of aflatoxins in food extracts, based on liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry interfacing, is presented. The chromatographic separation was performed with a reversed phase packed capillary column coupled with a modified particle beam interface capable of handling microliter per minute flow rates. This system allows higher overall sensitivity and easier operation procedures. The method has proved to be particularly suitable for the analysis of the toxins in very complex matrices. The specificity of electron impact ionization allowed positive identification of the aflatoxins with an excellent response linearity for accurate quantitation.

Chemical Composition and Inhibitory Activity Against Helicobacter pylori of the Essential Oil of Apium nodiflorum (Apiaceae)

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from Apium nodiflorum (L.) Lag. (Family Apiaceae), a plant used in the ethnomedical traditions of the Abruzzo region (Central Italy) as a culinary herb, as a diuretic, and to cure stomachache, was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and 14 components were identified. Limonene (27.72 %), p-cymene (23.06%), myristicine (18.51%), and beta-pinene (6.62%) were the main components. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was assayed in vitro against Helicobacter pylori (strain DSMZ 4867), resulting in a minimum inhibitory concentration value of 12.5 microg/mL.

Identification and characterisation of human pathogenic filamentous fungi and susceptibility to Thymus schimperi essential oil

Twenty‐eight clinical fungal isolates were characterised by morphological (macro‐ and micro‐features and growth response at 25, 30 and 37 °C) and molecular (nuclear rDNA‐internal transcriber spacer, calmodulin, cytochrome c oxidase 1 and the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II) analyses. The clinical fungal isolates were ascribed to the following taxa: Penicillium chrysogenum, Verticillium sp., Aspergillus tubingensis, Aspergillus minutus, Beauveria bassiana and Microsporum gypseum. In addition, in vitro susceptibility testing of the isolates to conventional antifungal agents and to two chemically well‐defined chemotypes of Thymus schimperi essential oil was performed. Most of the isolates were resistant to amphotericin B (except A. minutus), and itraconazole, while terbinafine was quite active on these fungi. T. schimperi essential oil showed antifungal activity against all of the tested fungal isolates with minimal inhibitory concentration values similar or lower than those of terbinafine. Transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that fungal growth inhibition by essential oil was accompanied by marked morphological and cytological changes.