The essential oil chemical composition of a rare ethnopharmacoligical plant: Verbascum creticum (L.) Cav.

The genus Verbascum L, belonging to the Scrophulariaceae family, is native to Europe, Africa and Asia. The use of plants of this genus in the popular medicine has been largely reported. In the present study the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Verbascum creticum (L.) Cav., a rare plant, never previously investigated, known for its anti-inflammatory properties of the intestinal mucosa and in the treatment of acute and chronic catarrhs, growing in Algeria, Baleares, Calabria, Sardinia, Sicily, Spain and Tunisia, was evaluated by GC-MS. The main components of its essential oil (Vc) were 1-octen-3-ol (23.9%), cis-3-hexen-1-ol (9.4%), phenylethanal (4.6%), and 2-methyl-benzofurane (4.6%). The comparison with all the other studied essential oils of genus Verbascum is discussed. Furthermore, a review of the use of the Verbascum species in the popular medicine has been carried out.

Stachys durandiana Coss., an endemic plant of Morocco: chemical composition of its aerial parts essential oil.

The genus Stachys L. (Lamiaceae) comprises more than 300 species as annual or perennial herbs or small shrubs, spread in temperate regions of Mediterranean, Asia, America, and Southern Africa and several species have been used in the traditional medicine of many countries. Section Stachys, one of nineteen sections of genus Stachys, is divided in two subsections: Sylvaticae and Circinatae. In the present study the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Stachys durandiana Coss., endemic of Morocco, and belonging to subsection Circinatae, was analysed by GC-MS. No report has been previously published on this species. The result showed the presence of large quantity of monoterpene hydrocarbons (73.3%), being α-pinene (38.0%) ß-pinene (14.8%), and limonene (11.1%) the principal constituents. Furthermore, a complete review on the chemical composition and biological properties of all the other Stachys taxa, belonging to section Stachys, studied so far, was carried out.

Chemical Characterization, Free Radical Scavenging, and Cellular Antioxidant Properties of the Egadi Island Endemic Brassica macrocarpa Guss Leaf Extract.

The genus Brassica is an important source of food in the Mediterranean diet with documented nutritional and medicinal properties. However, few studies have investigated the phytochemical composition and the biological activity of wild Sicilian taxa. Thus, we aimed to study the chemical profile and the antioxidant potential, in vitro and in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, of a methanolic extract of leaves of wild Brassica macrocarpa Guss (B. macrocarpa) (Egadi Islands; Sicily-Italy). B. macrocarpa methanolic extract showed a large amount of glucosinolates and different phenolic compounds. It exhibited antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay and in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, being able to reduce NO and ROS levels and NOS2 mRNA expression. Our study demonstrated that Sicilian B. macrocarpa methanolic extract, in LPS-stimulated macrophages, efficiently counteracts oxidative stress and displays radical scavenging activity. Future studies are required to identify the contribution of the single phytocomponents, to characterize the action mechanism, and to reveal possible applications in human health.

The essential oil chemical composition of a sicilian (Italy) accession of Doronicum caucasicum M. Bieb.

Doronicum is a relatively small genus belonging to the tribe Senecioneae (Fam. Asteraceae), distributed in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Some of its species are considered toxic due to the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids whereas some other ones are largely utilised in the ethnopharmacology of several countries. In the present study, the essential oil composition of a Sicilian accession of Doronicum caucasicum M. Bieb (syn. D. orientale Hoffm.), not previously investigated, is particularly rich in sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (80.3%) with germacrene D (58.9%), α-humulene (8.8%), and ß-caryophyllene (6.5%) as main metabolites. A comparison with all the essential oils from Doronicum taxa studied so far has been carried out.

Chemical Profile and Healthy Properties of Sicilian Diplotaxis harra subsp. crassifolia (Raf.) Maire.

This study was aimed at investigating the phytochemical profile and bioactivity of Diplotaxis harra subsp. crassifolia (Brassicaceae), a species from central-southern Sicily (Italy), where it is consumed as a salad. For this purpose, LC-ESI/HRMSn analysis of the ethanolic extract was performed, highlighting the occurrence, along with flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, and oxylipins, of sulfated secondary metabolites, including glucosinolates and various sulfooxy derivatives (e.g., C13 nor-isoprenoids, hydroxyphenyl, and hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives), most of which were never reported before in the Brassicaeae family or in the Diplotaxis genus. Following ethnomedicinal information regarding this species used for the treatment of various pathologies such as diabetes and hypercholesterolemia, D. harra ethanolic extract was evaluated for its antioxidant potential using different in vitro tests such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), Ferric Reducing Ability Power, and ß-carotene bleaching tests. The inhibitory activity of carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) and pancreatic lipase was also assessed. In the 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid assay, an IC50 value comparable to the positive control ascorbic acid (2.87 vs. 1.70 µg/mL, respectively) was obtained. The wild-wall rocket salad extract showed a significant α-amylase inhibitory effect. Obtained results indicate that Sicilian wild-wall rocket contains phytochemicals that can prevent hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and obesity.

Cladanthus scariosus Essential Oil and Its Principal Constituents with Cytotoxic Effects on Human Tumor Cell Lines.

Cladanthus is a small genus of the Asteraceae family comprising just five species that, apart from Cladanthus mixtus (L.) Chevall., has a large distribution in all the Mediterranean countries, mainly in the North Africa area. Several ethnopharmacological uses have been reported for species of this genus. Notably, Cladanthus scariosus (Ball) Oberpr. & Vogt is endemic to Morocco. Seeking to delve deeper into the phytochemistry and pharmacological aspects of this species, in this work, we investigated the essential oil (EO) obtained from the aerial parts of a locally sourced accession, hitherto unexplored, growing wild near Tizi n'Ticha, Morocco. The chemical composition of the EO, obtained by the hydrodistillation method, was evaluated by GC and GC-MS. The most abundant EO constituent was germacrene D (13.2%), the principal representative of the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons class (27.2%). However, the major class of constituents was monoterpene hydrocarbons (43.0%), with α-pinene (11.9%), sabinene (10.2%), p-cymene (8.5%), and α-phellandrene (5.2%) as the most abundant. The EO and its main constituents have been tested for their possible cytotoxic activity against three human tumor cell lines (MDA-MB 231, A375, and CaCo2) using the MTT assay, with corresponding IC50 values of 13.69, 13.21, and 22.71 µg/mL, respectively. Germacrene D and terpinen-4-ol were found to be the most active constituents with IC50 values between 3.21 and 9.53 µg/mL. The results demonstrate remarkable cytotoxic activity against the three human tumor cell lines studied, and in the future, further analyses could demonstrate the excellent potential of C. scariosus EO as an antitumor agent.

The essential oil composition of Phlomis bovei subsp. maroccana Maire, an endemic species of Morocco.

Phlomis L. is a genus belonging to the Lamiaceae family, distributed in Macaronesia, the Mediterranean basin, Northeast Africa, Central Asia, and Western Himalaya. Plants of this genus are used against various diseases in the ethno-medicine of several countries and some of them are also utilised for culinary purposes. In the present study, the essential oil chemical composition of the aerial parts of Phlomis bovei subsp. maroccana Maire, an endemic species of Morocco, was analysed by GC-MS. No previous paper has been previously published on this taxon. Main constituents of the essential oil were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (44.48%) with curcumene (11.20%), a very rare compound in Phlomis essential oils, ß-himachalene (6.22%), and ß-cedrene (3.81%) as principal metabolites. 1-hexadecanol (7.75%) and 1-octadecanol (5.32%) were the main constituents among the alcohols (19.66%). A comparison with all the other essential oils from Phlomis taxa has been carried out.

The chemical composition of the aerial parts' essential oil of matthiola fruticulosa (L.) maire growing in Sicily, Italy.

Matthiola Aiton is a genus belonging to the Brassicaceae family, distributed in Macaronesia, the Mediterranean basin, and the Saharo-Sindian region. Plants of this genus are used against various diseases in the ethno-medicine of several countries and a complete review of their usage has been carried out in this paper. In the present study, the essential oil chemical composition of the aerial parts of the Sicilian accession of Matthiola fruticulosa (L.) Maire, a species growing in South-Western Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia, was analysed by GC and GC-MS. No previous paper has been previously published on the essential oil of this species. Main constituents of the oil were sulphur compounds (45.5%) with the two quite rare cis and trans isomers of 5-(methylthio)-4-pentenenitrile as principal metabolites (16.3% and 10.7%, respectively). Principal compound of the oil was the diterpene phytol (16.5%) whereas other terpenoids were less abundant (10.6%).

The chemical composition of the aerial parts' essential oil of Geocaryum capillifolium (Guss.) Coss growing in Sicily (Italy).

The three genera Geocaryum Coss., Conopodium W.D.J. Koch, and Bunium L. are closely related, and their correct identification is complex. The first two genera are distributed in Europe and North Africa, while several Bunium species also occur in Asia. In the present study, we analysed the chemical composition of the essential oil of the aerial parts of Geocaryum capillifolium (Guss.) Coss. a rare species collected in Sicily, which also grows in the Iberian Peninsula, Algeria, and Greece, was analysed using GC-MS. The main constituents of the essential oil were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons involving cis-ß-farnesene (31.2%), trans-ß-caryophyllene (20.0%), and germacrene D (8.5%). The chemical profile of the essential oil presented here was compared with the oils of previously investigated Geocaryum, Conopodium, and Bunium taxa, as reported in the literature. To the best of our knowledge, no report has been previously published about the essential oil of the Sicilian accession of this species.

The chemical composition of the aerial parts' essential oil of Cynoglossum clandestinum Desf. growing in Sicily, Italy.

Cynoglossum L. is a taxonomically difficult genus belonging to the Boraginaceae family, distributed in Asia, Europe, mainly in Turkey, and in the Mediterranean region. Plants of this genus are used against various diseases in the ethnomedicine of several countries. In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oil was obtained from the hydrodistillation of aerial parts of the Sicilian accession of Cynoglossum clandestinum Desf. was analysed by GC and GC-MS. The main constituents of the essential oil were aldehydes and ketones (69.9%) with nonanal (18.9%), 4-sec-butoxy-2-butanone (18.1%), and 3-methyl-butanal (13.1%) as main metabolites. No one paper has been previously published on the essential oil of this species, and there is a lack of studies also in the near related genera. The aim of this work is in fact, to study a species that has never been investigated, and through this, try to help place it within the Boraginaceae family.

The chemical composition of the essential oils of two Mediterranean species of Convolvulaceae: Convolvulus althaeoides subsp. tenuissimus collected in Sicily (Italy) and Calystegia silvatica collected in Algeria.

Convolvulus L. and Calystegia R.Br. are two closely related genera of the Convolvulaceae family distributed in Asia, Mediterranean, Macaronesia, East Africa, and Arabia, including about 210 and 30 accepted species, respectively, of flowering plants, present as trees, shrubs, and herbs. The ethnomedical use of Convolvulus species dates to 1730s as they displayed profuse medicinal properties. In the present study, the not previously investigated chemical compositions of the essential oils from aerial parts of Convolvulus althaeoides subsp. tenuissimus (Sm.) Bat., collected in Sicily, and Calystegia sylvatica (Kit.) Griseb., collected in Algeria, were evaluated by GC-MS. The main components of the essential oil of the first one were ß-caryophyllene (28.68%), γ-muurolene (23.75%), and γ-elemene (17.55%), whereas the C. silvatica essential oil was shown to be rich of valeranone (10.77%), viridiflorol (9.45%), and germacrene D (8.61%). Furthermore, a complete literature review on the ethno-pharmacological uses of Convolvulus and Calystegia species was performed.

The chemical composition of the aerial parts essential oils of four Andryala species (Asteraceae) growing wild in Morocco.

Andryala (Asteraceae: Cichorieae) is a little-known Mediterranean-Macaronesian genus whose taxonomy is very much in need of revision. In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) from aerial parts of as many Andryala species, A. integrifolia, A. cossyrensis, and A. rothia, never studied before, and of A. pinnatifida subsp. mogadorensis, all collected in Morocco, was evaluated by GC-MS. The main components of the EOs of A. integrifolia and A. pinnatifida subsp. mogadorensis were organic acid compounds (41.10% and 43.52%, respectively), whereas A. cossyrensis, and A. rothia were shown to be rich in alkane derivatives (43.10% and 34.29%, respectively). Aldehydic compounds were the second class of metabolites in A. integrifolia and A. rothia (26.67% and 21.91%, respectively), whereas terpenoids, represented in all the four species in limited amounts, were more abundant only in A. pinnatifida subsp. mogadorensis (9.90%) and A. rothia (11.79%) species.

Centaurea polyacantha and C. maroccana: the chemical composition of the aerial parts essential oils of these Centaurea species (Asteraceae) collected in Morocco.

In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oil from the aerial parts of two Centaurea species not previously investigated, C. polyacantha Willd. (sect. Seridia, Asteraceae) and C. maroccana Ball. (sect. Calcitrapa, Asteraceae), collected in Morocco, was evaluated by GC-MS. The main components of the essential oil of the first one were limonene (18.2%), ß-bisabolene (11.5%), (Z)-ß-farnesene (8.6%), and spathulenol (8.3%), whereas the C. maroccana essential oil, practically devoid of terpenoids, was shown to be rich in some unusual Centaurea metabolites: 1-hexadecanol (24.9%), docosane (23.7%), and 1-octadecanol (19.5%). Furthermore, a complete literature review on the composition of the essential oils of all the other taxa of Centaurea, belonging to sections Seridia and Calcitrapa, studied so far, was performed.

The chemical composition of the aerial parts' essential oil of Nepeta apuleji Ucria (Lamiaceae) growing in Sicily (Italy).

The genus Nepeta L. (Lamiaceae) comprises about 300 species as annual or perennial herbs or small shrubs, spread in central and southern Europe, the Near East, central and southern Asia, and some areas of Africa. Several species have been used in the traditional medicine. In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oils from aerial parts of two populations of Nepeta apuleji Ucria collected in Sicily, a rare species, growing also in South Spain and NW Africa, were analysed by GC-MS. No one has been previously worked and published on the essential oil of this species. Main constituents of the two oils of the two populations were the monoterpenes ß-pinene (11.6-6.3%) and γ-terpinene (9.4-5.0%), and the sesquiterpenes ß-caryophyllene (11.9-9.8%) and germacrene D (1.8-13.0%). The chemical profile of the two essential oils presented herein and they compared with previously investigated Nepeta taxa oils, reported in the article.

The chemical composition of the aerial parts essential oil of Stachys ocymastrum L. Briq. (Lamiaceae) growing in Sicily (Italy).

The genus Stachys L. (Lamiaceae) comprises more than 300 species as annual or perennial herbs or small shrubs, spread in temperate regions of Mediterranean, Asia, America, and Southern Africa. Several species have been used in the traditional medicine to treat stress, skin inflammations, gastrointestinal disorders, asthma, and genital tumours. In the present study the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Stachys ocymastrum L. Briq., belonging to section Olisia, endemic of the Western Mediterranean and Greece and collected in Sicily, was analysed by GC-MS. No one report has been previously published on any European accession of this species. The result showed the presence of large quantity of the diterpenoid phytol (23.80%). Other metabolites present in high quantity were ß-caryophyllene (17.95%), geranyl-α-terpinene (13.26%) and trans-chrysanthenyl acetate (9.85%). Chemical considerations with respect all the other oils of Stachys taxa, belonging to section Olisia studied so far, were carried out.

Chemical composition and antioxidant activities of the essential oil of Tordylium apulum L. collected in Sicily.

The genus Tordylium L. (Apiaceae) is distributed in almost all the countries bordering the Mediterranean. They are plants widely used in ethnomedicine in various countries, especially in the Eastern part of Mediterranean, and, furthermore largely used as food. Consequently, in order to evaluate not only the chemical aspects but also the biological properties, the essential oil (EO), obtained from the Sicilian accession of Tordilym apulum L., not previously studied, were investigated. The chemical composition of the essential oil, obtained by classical hydrodistillation and GC-MS analysis, showed the occurrence of large amount of monoterpene hydrocarbons (68.8%) containing huge quantity of ß-cis-ocimene (65.0%). The second most abundant metabolite was octyl hexanoate (14.4%), that can be considered a marker of genus Tordylium. ROS levels and the activity of antioxidant enzymes SOD and CAT on normal and OZ-stressed PMNs were measured in order to study the effects of EO of T. apulum.

The chemical composition of the aerial parts essential oil of Phagnalon sinaicum collected in the Negev Desert (Israel).

The genus Phagnalon Cass. (Asteraceae) is widely distributed from Macaronesia in the West to the Himalayas in the East, from South France and Nord Italy to Ethiopia and Arabian Peninsula. Species of this genus have been used in folk medicine of many countries as medicinal herbs and they are also used such as food. The extracts and the essential oils (EOs) of these plants have reported antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antitumor, etc. properties and they have different biological applications. Phagnalon sinaicum Bornm. and Kneuck. is a very rare plant native of Middle East. It grows primarily in the desert or dry scrubland biome. Its EO, never previously investigated, was analysed by GC-MS. The EO was very rich in oxygenated monoterpenes, with artemisia ketone (20.40%), α-thujone (19.36%), and santolina alcohol (13.29%) as main constituent. Some considerations with respect to all the other EOs of Phagnalon taxa studied so far were carried out.

New Data on Native and Alien Vascular Flora of Sicily (Italy): New Findings and Updates.

In this paper, based on fieldwork and herbaria surveys, new data concerning the presence of 32 native and alien vascular species for Sicily (Italy) are provided. Among the native species, the occurrence of the following taxa is reported for the first time or confirmed after many decades of non-observation: Aira multiculmis, Arum maculatum, Carex flacca subsp. flacca, Mentha longifolia, Oxybasis chenopodioides, Najas minor and Xiphion junceum. Furthermore, we document the presence of three native species (Cornus mas, Juncus foliosus and Limonium avei) that, despite being repeatedly observed in Sicily and reported in the literature, are inexplicably omitted by the most recent authoritative checklists regarding the flora of Italy. Finally, fifteen alien species new to Sicily (including one new to Europe, i.e., Pyrus betulifolia) are reported and seven poorly documented allochthonous taxa are confirmed for the island, and for two of them, a status change is proposed. These new or confirmed records allow us to better define the European and national distribution of the targeted taxa and offer new insights on the native and alien flora of Sicily.

The Antioxidant Properties and Protective Capacity of Prangos trifida and Cachrys cristata Essential Oils against Cd Stress in Lunularia cruciata and Brassica napus.

The genera Prangos Lindl. and Cachrys L., for a long time interpreted as a single genus but today distinct and separate, and both belonging to the majestic Apiaceae family, are species with a large distribution and are used in ethnomedicine in various countries, especially in Asian countries. In this context, we investigated the chemical characteristics and biological properties of two essential oils (EOs) obtained from different specimens, namely Cachrys cristata (Cc) and Prangos trifida (Pt). The chemical composition of the two EOs was investigated by GC-MS analysis. From gas-chromatography analyses, while the (Cc) EO was rich in ß-myrcene (45.34%), allo-ocimene (10.90%), and 2,4,6-trimethylbenzaldehyde (23.47%), the (Pt) EO was characterized by moderate amounts of α-pinene (8.85%), sylvestrene (11.32%), α-phellandrene (12.14%), (Z)-ß-ocimene (18.12%), and finally, p-mentha-1,3,8-triene (9.56%). Furthermore, the protective and antioxidant capacity of (Pt) and (Cc) EOs on Lunularia cruciata and Brassica napus exposed to cadmium (Cd) stress was studied. To study these possible effects, the liverwort and oilseed rape, previously pretreated with both EOs, were subsequently subjected to oxidative stress by treatment with Cd. Then, DNA damage and antioxidant enzyme activity were measured in both EOs-pretreated and untreated samples to examine EOs-induced tolerance to Cd toxicity. The results indicate that (Pt) and (Cc) EOs have antioxidant and protective capacity in modulating the redox state through the antioxidant pathway by reducing oxidative stress induced by Cd. Furthermore, B. napus was found to be a more resistant and tolerant species than L. cruciata.

The chemical composition of the aerial parts essential oil of Ferulago nodosa (L.) Boiss. (Apiaceae) growing wild in Crete (Greece).

Ferulago nodosa (L.) Boiss. (Apiaceae) is a species occurring in the Balkan-Tyrrhenian area being present in Crete, Greece, Albania, and probably in Macedonia. Although the western disjointed population of Sicily has been classified as an endemic sub-species, F. nodosa subsp. geniculata (Guss.) Troia & Raimondo, its official acceptance is quite controversial. In order to verify the existence of two different sub-species, we investigated the chemical composition of the essential oil of F. nodosa, collected in Crete (Greece), not previously reported, and we compared it with the previously oil compositions reported in literature. Main constituents of the Cretan accessions of F. nodosa were trimethyl benzaldehyde derivatives (29.5%) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (56.14%).