Vivienne Spadaro

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of coumarins from the roots of Ferulago campestris (Apiaceae).

We report the isolation of several coumarins and the stereochemical assessment of some pyranocoumarins, as well as the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the three most abundant ones (grandivittin, agasyllin and aegelinol benzoate) isolated from the roots of Ferulago campestris collected in Sicily and of the hydrolysis product (aegelinol). Aegelinol and agasyllin showed antibacterial activity against nine ATCC and the same clinically isolated Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. At a concentration between 16 and 125 μg/mL both coumarins showed a significant antibacterial effect against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In particular the ATCC strains Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella thypii, Enterobacter cloacae and Enterobacter earogenes (MIC = 16 and 32 μg/mL for aegelinol and agasyllin, respectively) were the most inhibited. Antibacterial activity was also found against Helicobacter pylori: a dose-dependent inhibition was shown between 5 and 25 μg/mL. The antioxidant activity of the coumarins was evaluated by their effects on human whole blood leukocytes (WB) and on isolated polymorphonucleate (PMN) chemiluminescence (CL), PMA-stimulated and resting.

Chemical composition of essential oil from Italian populations of Artemisia alba Turra (Asteraceae).

The use of essential oils as chemotaxonomic markers could be useful for the classification of Artemisia species and to caracterize biodiversity in the different populations. An analysis of the chemical composition of four essential oils from Italian populations of Artemisia alba Turra (collected in Sicily, Marche and Abruzzo) was investigated. In this paper an in depth study of the significant differences observed in the composition of these oils is reported.

Pyrus ciancioi (Rosaceae), a new species from Sicily

Abstract A new species of Pyrus L. from the Nebrodi Mountains (northeast Sicily) is described, named, and illustrated. It differs from Pyrus spinosa in the shape and diameter/length ratio of its fruits and in the width/length ratio of the leaf lamina. An analytical key to the Pyrus species growing in Sicily is provided.

Sorbus busambarensis (Rosaceae), a new endemic species of Sicily

Abstract In this study, Sorbus busambarensis, a new species from Rocca Busambra (Palermo, NW Sicily) has been described and named. On the basis of the critical features of its flowers, fruits and leaves, it is noted to be a member of S. sect. Aria and is related to the other taxa that form the polymorphic group of S. aria, which in Sicily is represented by S. aria s. str., S. graeca and S. umbellata.

Morphological, karyological and taxonomic remarks on Ferulago nodosa (L.) Boiss. (Apiaceae)

Abstract Western (Sicilian) and eastern (Balcan-aegean) populations of the Balcan-tyrrhenian Ferulago nodosa are reported to be different in some morphological characters, and were considered different species by some authors in XIX century. In this work, fruit and pollen morphologies have been compared in Sicilian and Cretan plants; also, the chromosome number of Sicilian plants has been ascertained. Preliminary results highlight a general homogeneity between the two populations, nevertheless showing significant differences in some parameters (fruit form, pollen size). For this reason, and considering the geographic disjunction of the Sicilian plants, the two populations are proposed to be treated as two different subspecies: F. nodosa subsp. nodosa in the east and F. nodosa subsp. rigida (Ten.) Troia & Raimondo comb. & stat. nov. in the west. The names Ferula rigida Ten. and Ferula geniculata Guss. are also typified.

Furostanol saponins and ecdysones with cytotoxic activity from Helleborus bocconei ssp. intermedius

Two furostanol saponins helleboroside A (1) and helleboroside B (2) were isolated from the methanol extract of Helleborus bocconei Ten. subsp. intermedius (Guss.) Greuter and Burdet, along with the furospirostanol saponin 4 and two ecdysones: ecdysterone (5) and polypodyne B (6). Compound 2 was enzymatically hydrolysed to give product 3. The biological activity of all compounds was tested against rat C6 glioma cells showing a significant cytotoxicity for compounds 3, 4 and 6. Copyright

Chemical Composition of the Essential Oils of Three Endemic Species of Anthemis Sect. Hiorthia (DC.) R.Fern. Growing Wild in Sicily and Chemotaxonomic Volatile Markers of the Genus Anthemis L.: An Update

The chemical composition of the essential oils isolated from the aerial parts of Anthemis pignattiorum Guarino, Raimondo & Domina and A. ismelia Lojac. and the aerial parts and flowers of Anthemis cupaniana Tod. ex Nyman, three endemic Sicilian species belonging to the section Hiorthia, was determined by GC‐FID and GC/MS analyses. (Z)‐Muurola‐4(14),5‐diene (27.3%) was recognized as the main constituent of the A. pignattiorum essential oil, together with isospathulenol (10.6%), sabinene (7.7%), and artemisyl acetate (6.8%), while in the oil obtained from the aerial parts of A. ismelia, geranyl propionate (8.8%), bornyl acetate (7.9%), β‐thujone (7.8%), neryl propionate (6.5%), and τ‐muurolol (6.5%) prevailed. α‐Pinene was the main compound of both the aerial part and flower oils of A. cupaniana (18.4 and 13.2%, resp.). Also noteworthy are the considerable amounts of artemisyl acetate (12.7%) and β‐thujone (11.8%) found in the oil from the aerial parts and those of tricosane (9.8%) and sabinene (7.6%) evidenced in the flower oil. Furthermore, an update on the main compounds identified in the essential oils of all the Anthemis taxa studied so far was presented, and cluster analyses were carried out, to compare the essential oils of these taxa.

Volatile Constituents of the Aerial Parts of Pulicaria sicula (L.) Moris Growing Wild in Sicily: Chemotaxonomic Volatile Markers of the Genus Pulicaria Gaertn.

The chemical composition of the essential oil isolated from the aerial parts of Pulicaria sicula (L.) Moris was characterized by GC‐FID and GC/MS analyses. The oil was particularly rich in oxygenated terpenoids. Among the oxygenated monoterpenes (content of 44.5%), the most abundant were borneol (23.7%), bornyl acetate (6.5%), and isothymol isobutyrate (6.2%). Caryophyllene oxide (10.2%), caryophylladienol I (4.3%), and caryophylla‐3,8(13)‐dien‐5β‐ol (4.4%) were identified as the main constituents among the oxygenated sesquiterpenes. Furthermore, a complete literature review on the composition of the essential oils of all the Pulicaria taxa studied so far was performed and a principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of some species of Anthemis sect. Anthemis (Asteraceae) from Sicily

Abstract The chemical composition of the essential oils isolated from the aerial parts of Anthemis arvensis L. subsp. arvensis, Anthemis cretica subsp. messanensis (Brullo) Giardina & Raimondo and from flowers and leaves of Anthemis cretica subsp. columnae (Ten.) Frezén were determinated by GC–FID and GC–MS analyses. Torreyol (85.4%) was recognised as the main constituent of the Anthemis arvensis subsp. arvensis essential oil, while in the essential oils of Anthemis cretica subsp. messanensis, collected on the rock and cultivated in Hortus Botanicus Panormitanus, (E)-chrysanthenyl acetate (28.8 and 24.2% resp.), 14-hydroxy-α-humulene (8.1 and 5.3% resp.), santolina triene (8 and 5.8% resp.) and α-pinene (6.7 and 5.4% resp.) prevailed. 18-cineole (13.3 and 12.2% resp.), was the main component of both flower and leaf oils of Anthemis cretica subsp. columnae together with δ-cadinene (9.0 and 8.2% resp.) and (E)-caryophyllene (8.3 and 5.6% resp.).

A new species of Centaurea (Asteraceae) from Calabria (S Italy)

A new species is described here from the Presila in Calabria (S Italy) and named Centaurea calabra. It belongs to Centaurea sect. Phalolepis and is related to the C. deusta group, namely to C. sarfattiana. Taxonomical characteristics, distribution, and ecology of the new Centaurea are also provided.