G B Lockwood

Glucosinolates of seven medicinal plants from Thailand

Nasturtium montanum was shown to contain glucobrassicin, 9-methylthionyl glucosinolate, oct-7-enyl glucosinolate, non-7-enyl glucosinolate, dec-7-enyl glucosinolate, methylsulfonyloctyl glucosinolate, methylsulfonylnonyl glucosinolate, methylsulfonyldecyl glucosinolate, benzyl glucosinolate, and Cleome chelidonii contained glucocapparin and glucocleomin. Raphanus sativus contained sulforaphene, plus sulforaphane, glucodehydroerucin, and gluconapin; Lepidum sativum contained benzyl glucosinolate and glucotropaeolin; Eruca versicaria contained glucoerucin; Cleome viscosa contained glucocapparin and glucocleomin, while Gynandropsis gynandra contained glucocapparin.

Techniques for gas chromatography of volatile terpenoids from a range of matrices

The commercial importance of the volatile mono- and sesqui-terpenoids has resulted in a wide range of techiques being used for extraction, concentration, chromatography, and characterisation of constituents. The major chromatographic technique is gas chromatography, and tandem techniques of chromatography linked to further chromatography and spectroscopy, allow much increased resolution, and greater ease of characterisation of terpenes. A wide range of extraction techniques are discussed, and suitability for particular matrices and sample sizes outlined. Chromatography operating conditions and stationary phases, and techniques for solute identification are laid out. A number of applications of terpene analysis in many different matrices are discussed.

Volatile Constituents of Achillea millefolium L. ssp. millefolium from Iran

The volatile constituents of Achillea millefolium L. ssp, millefolium growing wild north-east of Teheran, Iran, were studied by GC and GC-MS. Twenty-one constituents were identified. The main components were α-bisabolol, spathulenol, cis-nerolidol, cis-carveol and trans, trans-farnesol. The percentage of sesquiterpenic components was high, attaining 55.4% of the total oil.

Induction of the mar operon by miscellaneous groceries

Aim:  To investigate the potential of non‐antibacterial consumer products to act as inducers of the multiple antibiotic resistance (mar) operon of Escherichia coli SPC105.

Factors affecting volatile terpene and non-terpene biotransformation products in plant cell cultures

Suspension cultures from Peganum harmala were shown to carry out biotransformations of a number of terpenes and non-terpenes. The rate of biotransformation was dependent upon substrate concentration, density of cell suspensions, and the structure and isomeric form of the substrates.

Toxicity of Ocimum sanctum L. Essential oil to Aedes aegypti Larvae and its Chemical Composition

Abstract The herb essential oil of Ocimum sanctum from Nigeria was investigated for mosquito larvicidal activity and its composition studied by gas chromatography and gas chromato-graphy-mass spectrometry for the first time. A good larvicidal action (LD50 85.11 ppm) against fourth instar Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which was far less than that of a positive control, endosulphan (LC50, 0.96 ppm) was observed for the oil. Seventeen components representing 88.4 % of total oil were fully identified. Oxygenated monoterpenes (51.1 %) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (27.5 %) formed the main chemical groups in the oil. The major constituents of the oil were methyleugenol (44.7 %) and isocaryophyllene (16.8 %), which categorise the oil into a different chemical variety.

Enhanced biotransformation of terpenes in plant cell suspensions using controlled release polymer

Plant cell cultures of Peganum harmala converted geranyl acetate to geraniol. Although the reaction started immediately after feeding, there was disappearance of both product and substrate. Geranyl acetate at 100 mg l−1 when fed to 100 ml Peganum harmala suspensions (16% packed cell volume) was completely used within 24 h without accumulation of any product. Similarly, linalyl acetate and its biotransformation products, linalool and α-terpineol, disappeared. Controlled-release polymer discs made from poly-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and containing concentrations of geranyl acetate or linalyl acetate produced greatly extended concentrations of these substrates and their biotransformation products (from about 1 day to over 12 days). The concentrations of substrates remained at around 5 mg l−1throughout the experiments, while the concentrations of biotransformation products increased from 10 mg l−1to 55.5 mg l−1 for geraniol, from 5 mg l−1 to 14 mg l−1 for linalool, and 5 mg l−1 to 12 mg l−1 for α-terpineol compared to the control value. Also low concentrations (30–200 μg/disc) of product were taken up by the polymer over 10 days.

Volatile oils from the plant and hairy root cultures of Ageratum conyzoides L.

Two lines of hairy root culture of Ageratum conyzoides L. induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes ATCC 15834 were established under either complete darkness or 16 h light/8 h dark photoperiod conditions. The volatile oil yields from aerial parts and roots of the parent plant, the hairy root culture photoperiod line and the hairy root culture dark line were 0.2%, 0.08%, 0.03% and 0.02%, (w/w), respectively. The compositions of the volatiles from the hairy roots, plant roots and aerial parts were analysed by GC and GC–MS. The main components of the volatiles from the hairy root cultures were β-farnesene, precocene I and β-caryophyllene, in different amounts, depending on light conditions and also on the age of cultures. Precocene I, β-farnesene, precocene II and β-caryophyllene were the main constituents of the volatile oils from the parent plant roots, whereas precocene I, germacrene D, β-caryophyllene and precocene II were the main constituents of the aerial parts of the parent plant. Growth and time-course studies of volatile constituents of the two hairy root lines were compared. Qualitative and quantitative differences were found between the volatile oils from the roots of the parent plant and those from the hairy roots.

Essential oils from the plant, hairy root cultures and shoot cultures of Egyptian Anethum graveolens (dill)

Abstract Transformed roots of Anethum graveolens were obtained after inoculation of aseptically grown seedlings with wild type Agrobacterium rhizogenes ATCC 15834. Comparisons were made between the essential oils, analysed by GC and GC-MS, from the hairy roots, in vitro shoot cultures, fruits and from roots and aerial parts of the parent plant. The main components of the essential oils from the fruits were carvone, dill apiole and limonene, whereas dill ether and p-cymene were the major components of the oils from the aerial parts. Dill apiole and α-phellandrene were the main constituents of the oil from the in vitro shoot cultures, while dill apiole, apiole, myristicin and falcarinol were the main constituents of the oils isolated from hairy root cultures and roots of the parent plant. Quantitative but not qualitative differences were found between the essential oils from the roots of parent plant and those from the hairy root cultures. The essential oil yield of hairy root cultures was higher than that of the roots of the parent plant based on fresh weight calculation.

XIX Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nyman (Parsley): In Vitro Culture, Production and Metabolism of Volatile Constituents

Fresh leaves of Parsley, Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nyman are widely used whole as a garnish, and used chopped, either fresh or dried, to give a strong characteristic flavour to foods throughout the world. Parsley (Fig. 1) is listed by the Council of Europe as a natural source of food flavouring (category N2; Council of Europe 1981). It is an annual or biennial herb indigenous to the eastern Mediterranean, but naturalised in most parts of Europe, and cultivated widely through temperate to tropical areas of the rest of the World. As a member of the family Umbelliferae, parsley has ridged seeds and distinctive leaves, and a white to yellowish root. A range of cultivars have been developed, with leaves available from plain to curled. All parts of the plant have historic use in herbal medicine (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1990). All plant parts, as well as infusions and tinctures are used for carminative, antispasmodic, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, antirheumatic, and antimicrobial activities. Traditionally, it has been used for flatulent dyspepsia, colic, cystitis, dysuria, bronchitic cough in the elderley, dysmenorrhoea, functional amenorrhoea, myalgia, and specifically for flatulent dyspepsia with intestinal colic (Newall et al. 1996).