Gianni Sacchetti

Bioactivities of Piper aduncum L. and Piper obliquum Ruiz & Pavon (Piperaceae) essential oils from Eastern Ecuador

Essential oils from aerial parts of Piper aduncum (Matico) and Piper obliquum (Anis del Oriente) of ecuadorian origin were analyzed by GC-FID, GC-MS, (13)C NMR and their biological and pharmacological activities were assessed. Chemical composition proved to be unusually different from previous reports for safrole-rich P. obliquum (45.8%), while P. aduncum main constituent was dillapiol (45.9%). No genotoxic activity was found in the Ames/Salmonella typhimurium (TA98 and TA100) assay, either with or without S9 activation. Mutagen-protective properties, evaluated using sodium azide, 2-nitrofluorene and 2-aminoanthracene as mutagens/promutagens, was observed against promutagen 2-aminoanthracene, likely in consequence of microsomial deactivation. Antimicrobial assays have been performed on Gram+/Gram- bacteria, dermatophyte and phytopathogenic fungi and best results were provided by P. aduncum against fungal strains with complete inhibition at 500μg/ml. Preliminary analgesic and antithrombotic activities evidenced the absence of the former in hot plate and edema assays and a limited antiplatelet action against three different agonists (ADP, AA and U46619). Both oils have a very limited antioxidant capacity.

Factors Affecting Polyphenol Biosynthesis in Wild and Field Grown St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum L. Hypericaceae/Guttiferae)

The increasing diffusion of herbal products is posing new questions: why are products so often different in their composition and efficacy? Which approach is more suitable to increase the biochemical productivity of medicinal plants with large-scale, low-cost solutions? Can the phytochemical profile of a medicinal plant be modulated in order to increase the accumulation of its most valuable constituents? Will polyphenol-rich medicinal crops ever be traded as commodities? Providing a proactive answer to such questions is an extremely hard task, due to the large number of variables involved: intraspecific chemodiversity, plant breeding, ontogenetic stage, post-harvest handling, biotic and abiotic factors, to name but a few. An ideal path in this direction should include the definition of optimum pre-harvesting and post-harvesting conditions and the availability of specific Good Agricultural Practices centered on secondary metabolism enhancement. The first steps to be taken are undoubtedly the evaluation and the organization of scattered data regarding the diverse factors involved in the optimization of medicinal plant cultivation, in order to provide an interdisciplinary overview of main possibilities, weaknesses and drawbacks. This review is intended to be a synopsis of the knowledge on this regard focused on Hypericum perforatum L. (Hypericaceae/Guttiferae) secondary metabolites of phenolic origin, with the aim to provide a reference and suggest an evolution towards the maximization of St. Johns Wort bioactive constituents. Factors considered emerged not only from in-field agronomic results, but also from physiological, genetical, biotic, abiotic and phytochemical data that could be scaled up to the application level. To increase quality for final beneficiaries, growers’ profits and ultimately transform phenolic-rich medicinal crops into commodities, the emerging trend suggests an integrated and synergic approach. Agronomy and genetics will need to develop their breeding strategies taking account of the suggestions of phytochemistry, biochemistry, pharmacognosy and pharmacology, without losing sight of the economic balance of the production.

Ethnobotanical research in the territory of Fluminimaggiore (south-western Sardinia).

The results of an ethnobotanical survey in the territory of Fluminimaggiore (south-western Sardinia) are presented. Sixty-five species with medicinal properties used for different pathologies, such as diseases of the skin and of the gastro-intestinal system have been recorded.

Plants in organic synthesis: an alternative to baker's yeast

The reduction of acetophenone 1 and the hydrolysis of 1-acetoxy-2-methylcyclohexene 3 with various commercially available plants to the corresponding S-carbinol 2 and S-ketone 4 are described. The further incubation of 2-methylcyclohexanone 4 with some plants affords the enantiomerically pure trans- and/or cis-alcohol 5 and 6, respectively.

RAPD-Based Method for the Quality Control of Mediterranean Oregano and Its Contribution to Pharmacognostic Techniques

A pharmacognostic survey of 84 commercial samples of Mediterranean oregano, obtained from wholesale traders between 2001 and 2007, pinpointed the presence of extraneous plant material in 90.5% of the samples. In 59% of them extraneous material of plant origin was above 20%. Two major groups of botanical foreign matter were identified: oregano-like flavored plants ( Satureja montana L., Origanum majorana L.) and plants lacking a clearly detectable essential oil profile ( Rubus sp., Cistus incanus L., Rhus coriaria L.), added as bulk extraneous material. A random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method was developed to make the detection of the second group of adulterants easier and speed pharmacognostic analysis of large batches of samples. Thirteen primers discriminating between Origanum spp. and Rubus caesius , R.coriaria, and C. incanus were individuated, allowing their detection in oregano samples with a limit of detection of 1%. The utilization of RAPD as a reliable test to probe the authenticity of Mediterranean oregano or previously screen the presence of specific contaminants is proposed as a complementary approach to pharmacognostic and phytochemical screening.

trans-Resveratrol in Nutraceuticals: Issues in Retail Quality and Effectiveness

Fourteen brands of resveratrol-containing nutraceuticals were evaluated in order to verify their actual resveratrol content and to control if their health-promoting properties are related to manufacturing quality. Products included pure resveratrol capsules or multi-ingredient formulations with standardized amounts of resveratrol and other phytochemicals. Samples were analyzed for total trans-resveratrol, flavonoids, procyanidin, polyphenol content and the results were compared with the content declared on-label. Only five out of 14 brands had near label values, compliant with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) requirements (95–105% content of active constituent), four products were slightly out of this range (83–111%) and three were in the 8–64% range. Two samples were below the limit of detection. The greater the difference between actual and labeled resveratrol content, the lower was the antioxidant and antiproliferative activity strength. Dietary supplements containing pure trans-resveratrol exhibited a greater induction of differentiation towards human leukemic K562 cells when compared to multicomponent products. Great differences currently exist among resveratrol food supplements commercially available and GMP-grade quality should not be taken for granted. On the other side, dosages suggested by most “pure”, “high-dosage” supplements may allow a supplementation level adequate to obtain some of the purported health benefits.

Tocopherol, fatty acids and sterol distributions in wild Ecuadorian Theobroma subincanum (Sterculiaceae) seeds

Abstract Ecuadorian Theobroma subincanum (Sterculiaceae) seed parts were analyzed to determine quali-quantitative tocopherol distribution. Fatty acids and sterols in the embryos, teguments and endosperm were also evaluated with an aim to better-characterize the plant matrix for its potential use as a source of phytochemicals, for the cocoa butter processing industry and/or as a new source of low cost natural products in the cosmetic, drug and alimentary/nutraceutical industries. HPLC for tocopherols and gas-chromatography (GC), GC–mass spectrometry (MS) analyses for fatty acids profile (FAP) and phytosterols were performed. Tocopherols were particularly abundant in the embryo, with quali-quantitative data similar to wheat germ oil whereas, in the teguments and endosperm, the concentrations of tocopherols were lower. The fatty acid profile and phytosterol characterization of the seed parts showed qualitative homogeneous data. In the endosperm, 80% of the entire FAP consisted of oleic and stearic acid while, among sterols, cycloartenol was more abundant in endosperm than in embryos and teguments. Accordingly, T. subincanum seeds can be proposed as possible substitutes in the cocoa processing industry and as a potential source of vitamin E isomers.

Variation in the content of the main guaianolides and sugars in Cichorium intybus var. “Rosso di Chioggia” selections during cultivation

Abstract Cichorium intybus var. “Rosso di Chioggia” is a chicory variety cultivated predominantly in Northeastern Italy and highly appreciated for its bitter taste. The commercial portion of the plant, used as food, comprises the innermost leaves (head) of plants harvested during the first year of growth; the outermost leaves and the roots are considered wastes. Three selections belonging to this variety have been analyzed for guaianolide and sugar contents and compared with the commercial product (head), roots and outermost leaves. The qualitative and quantitative evaluations of both classes of compounds were achieved by densitometric HPTLC. The analytical data showed a high variability during the stages of growth, both among the parts of the plant and among the three selections of chicory considered. With particular reference to the heads, a sensory bitterness evaluation method was set up in order to find a correlation between the analytical data and the bitter taste.

Comparative chemical composition and variability of biological activity of methanolic extracts from Hypericum perforatum L.

The biovariability of Hypericum perforatum L. (St. Johns Wort) grown wild in Calabria and Sardinia (Italy) was reported with the aim to characterize the species through the isolation, detection, and quantitative evaluations of chemical markers (hypericin, quercetin, rutin) by HPLC analysis. Antioxidant activity of the methanolic H. perforatum extracts showed that the Calabrian samples were more active than those from Sardinia. The antibacterial activity evidenced the best performance on the gram positive bacteria with a MIC value of 50 µg/mL. Moreover, antifungal activity of all the extracts was also tested which showed interesting results particularly on the phytopathogene fungus P. ultimum. The variability shown by the samples could be attributed to environmental factors such as chemical–physical properties, composition of the soil, geographical coordinate, altitude, and solar exposure. The phytochemical analysis and the biological activity data suggested a possible use of H. perforatum extracts in the alimentary, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical fields.

The photodynamic effect of 5-(4-hydroxy-1-butinyl)-2,2’-bithienyl on dermatophytes

The thiophene 5-(4-hydroxy-1-butinyl)2,2′-bithienyl (BBTOH) strongly inhibited in vitro eight different dermatophytes. Epidermophyton floccosum proved most sensitive to all doses of BBTOH when applied in conjunction with uv-A irradiation. BBTOH also proved quite active against Nannizia cajetani , the only dermatophyte which was also strongly inhibited when treated (50 μg ml −1 ) and kept in the dark. For this reason, N. cajetani was chosen as the test organism for TEM and SEM aimed at determining what treatment-induced ultrastructural and morphological modifications had occurred. TEM revealed that the photoactive mechanism of BBTOH was similar to that of 2,2′:5′,2″-terthienyl (α-T). SEM, on the other hand, showed that early culture aging resulted from treatment.