Chemical composition and variability of the volatile components from inflorescences of Cirsium species.

The present study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of the essential oils of inflorescences Cirsium spp. (Asteraceae) by GC/MS method. Essential oils were extracted from the inflorescences of Cirsium pannonicum (Link), Cirsium ligulare Boiss., Cirsium heterophyllum (L.) Hill., Cirsium acaule (L.) Scop., Cirsium oleraceum (L.) Scop., Cirsium dissectum (L.) Hill., Cirsium decussatum (Janka) and Cirsium eriophorum (L.) Scop., using the steam distillation method. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method was employed for the analysis of essential oils. Our study shows the differences in chemical composition of volatile oils in the inflorescences of Cirsium spp. The main components of the essential oil were ketones and aldehydes with a long carbon side-chain. Volatile oils also contained small amounts of terpenes: thymol, ß-linalool, eugenol, carvacrol and fatty acids with odd number of carbon atoms-waxes. The compounds in the essential oils obtained from inflorescences Cirsium L. species have been identified for the first time.

Application of PLE for the determination of essential oil components from Thymus vulgaris L.

Essential plants, due to their long presence in human history, their status in culinary arts, their use in medicine and perfume manufacture, belong to frequently examined stock materials in scientific and industrial laboratories. Because of a large number of freshly cut, dried or frozen plant samples requiring the determination of essential oil amount and composition, a fast, safe, simple, efficient and highly automatic sample preparation method is needed. Five sample preparation methods (steam distillation, extraction in the Soxhlet apparatus, supercritical fluid extraction, solid phase microextraction and pressurized liquid extraction) used for the isolation of aroma-active components from Thymus vulgaris L. are compared in the paper. The methods are mainly discussed with regard to the recovery of components which typically exist in essential oil isolated by steam distillation. According to the obtained data, PLE is the most efficient sample preparation method in determining the essential oil from the thyme herb. Although co-extraction of non-volatile ingredients is the main drawback of this method, it is characterized by the highest yield of essential oil components and the shortest extraction time required. Moreover, the relative peak amounts of essential components revealed by PLE are comparable with those obtained by steam distillation, which is recognized as standard sample preparation method for the analysis of essential oils in aromatic plants.

The changes of propofol concentration in human cerebrospinal fluid after drug infusion.

OBJECTIVE: Investigation of the propofol concentration changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after the termination of the drug infusion. METHODS: Nine patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists classes I-III) scheduled for elective intracranial procedures were studied. Propofol was applied in the form of target control infusion. During anesthesia, fractional doses of fentanyl and cisatracurium were administered as necessary. After tracheal intubation, the lungs were ventilated to achieve normocapnia with an oxygen-air mixture (fraction of inspired oxygen = 0.33). Arterial blood and CSF samples (from an intraventricular drain) were taken simultaneously at the end of propofol infusion and then at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after the end of infusion. RESULTS: A pronounced decrease of the anesthetic concentration in plasma (P < 0.001) was observed during the first 15 minutes after infusion termination, followed by further yet slower decrease of the drug concentration. At the end of propofol infusion, the concentration of propofol in CSF was 65.59 ng/mL (SD, 26.91 ng/mL) and remained almost stable for approximately 30 minutes; afterward, a slow decrease of CSF propofol concentration was observed. CONCLUSION: The statement that CSF can be regarded as a significant route for drugs delivery to the brain is disputable for propofol. The obtained results show that, in contrast to the situation from induction of anesthesia, back transport of the drug from CSF to blood is markedly slower, supporting the thesis about propofol transport from blood to CSF by passive diffusion.

The level of jasmonic acid in Arabidopsis thaliana and Phaseolus coccineus plants under heavy metal stress.

The effect of heavy metal stress as a potent abiotic elicitor for triggering an accumulation of jasmonic acid (JA) was investigated. Copper and cadmium in in vivo conditions induced accumulation of jasmonates in mature leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana and in young and oldest Phaseolus coccineus plants. The dynamics of jasmonate accumulation showed a biphasic character in both plants. In the first phase, after 7 (A. thaliana) or 14h (P. coccineus) of exposure to Cu or Cd, a rapid increase of JA level occurred, followed by a rapid decrease observed during 7 successive hours. In the next phase, a repeated but slow increase of JA content occurred. The heavy metal stress induced in particular a more stable (3R,7R) form of jasmonates. These results indicate that JA is connected with the mechanism of toxic action of both heavy metals in plants, differentially reacting to exogenous JA and possessing variable dynamics depending on the plants studied as well as their growth stage.

Comparison of terpene composition in Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) using hydrodistillation, SPME and PLE.

Terpenes emitted by conifer trees are generally determined by analysing plant extracts or essential oils, prepared from foliage and cones using steam distillation. The application of these procedures limits experiments to cut plant materials. Recently headspace techniques have been adopted to examine terpene emission by living plants. This paper deals with the application of solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) for the analysis of terpenes emitted by conifers foliage of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii), including its seedlings. The compositions of SPME extracts obtained for destroyed and non-destroyed old and juvenile spruce needles were compared with the compositions of essential oils and pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) extracts corresponding to the same plant materials. No substantial differences have been found in the qualitative terpene composition estimated by analysing essential oil and PLE and SPME extracts from non-destroyed old and juvenile foliage. The disintegration of spruce needles results in the formation of a significant amount of myrcene in the case of the old conifer foliage and non-terpenoic compounds in the case of juvenile conifer foliage. This phenomenon can be attributed to enzymatic reactions occurring in the destroyed plant cells.

Comparative analysis of the composition of the volatile oils of two forms of Achillea crithmifolia W. et. K.--diploid and tetraploid.

The genus Achillea L. includes more than 100 species and is a polyploid complex of di-, tetra-, hexa- and octaploids, individuals.

Antifungal activity of the essential oils from some species of the genus Pinus.

The chemical composition of the essential oils from the needles of Pinus ponderosa (north american pine), P. resinosa (red pine) and P. strobus (eastern white pine) has been determined by GC/MS (FID). The essential oils from P. resinosa and P. ponderosa in comparison to P. strobus have been characterized by the higher content of beta-pinene (42.4%, 45.7% and 7.9% respectively). On the other hand, a-pinene (17.7%) and germacrene D (12.2%) were dominant compounds of P strobus. Moreover the essential oil from P. resinosa was more rich in myrcene-15.9%. Estragole and delta-3-carene, each one in amount ca 8% were identified only in P. ponderosa. The content of essential oils in the needles slightly varied--0.65%--P. resinosa, 0.4%--P strobus, 0.3%--P. ponderosa. The antifungal activity has been investigated towards Fusarium culmorum, F solani and F. poae. The strongest activity was observed for the essential oil from P. ponderosa, which fully inhibited the growth of fungi at the following concentrations--F. culmorum, F. solani at 2% and F. poae at 5%.

Essential oil from fruit of Peucedanum tauricum Bieb.

Essential oil from fruit of Peucedanum tauricum Bieb, was qualitatively and quantitatively investigated. The content of oil determined by distillation with water and m-xylene was 2.2% of dry mass. Gas chromatography (GC) with MS detection and flame ionisation detection (FID) showed that the oil contains 28 compounds (above 99% of sesquiterpenes), of which 9 were identified as beta-elemene (0.6%), beta-caryophyllene (0.3%), alpha-guaiene (0.2%), alpha-humulene (0.8%), gamma-gurjunene (5.6%), beta-selinene (2.3%), alpha-selinene (2.2%), gamma-cadinene (0.3%). Predominating sesquiterpenoids (RI 1529--35.9%, RI 1526--27.2%, RI 1537--7.1%) were not identified, and their mass spectra were similar to mass spectra of selinene derivatives.

The chemical composition of Microbiota decussata.

From the leaves of Microbiota decussata (Cupressaceae) biflavones: cupressuflavone, amentoflavone and 7-O-methylamentoflavone were isolated and identified. The amount of cupressuflavone in Microbiota decussata and xCupressocyparis leylandii (Leyland cypress) (Cupressaceae) was determined by HPLC (1.82% and 0.83%, respectively). The chemical composition of essential oils from bark and leaves of Microbiota decussata was established by GC-MS (GC-FID) analysis. As a major component thujopsene (39.2% and 45.9%, respectively) was identified. Wiridiflorol (3.0%) and tau-muurolol (0.3%) were present only in leaves but globulol (1.5%) exclusively in bark. The content of essential oils in M. decussata was high--5.4% in bark and 12.6% in leaves. The essential oils from M. decussata and xC. leylandii were bioassayed towards different fungi of the genus Fusarium. Leyland cypress essential oil at 2% concentration fully inhibited the growth of all fungi.