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•First set of SSRs H. italicum sequences was released for the research community.•New, 24 SSRs of H. italicum were developed and characterized.•Diversity analysis revealed distinct ...groups of H. italicum from the East Adriatic.•Taxon-specific SSR markers will contribute to breeding program establishment.•Developed SSRs are transferable to other Helichrysum sp.
Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don), also known as curry plant, is a herbaceous perennial plant with documented biological properties that contribute to its attractiveness and use in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industry. Availability of DNA markers can significantly improve the knowledge of complex genetics and biochemistry of this aromatic plant. To improve in-depth genetic studies, high-throughput sequencing of a genomic DNA has been performed and a set of 24 SSR markers was developed. In total, 17,025,076 high quality reads were assembled in contigs with the cumulative length of 258.6 Mbp. Genome-wide microsatellite sequences were identified in 8.19% (36,882) contigs, among which dinucleotide (71.2%) and trinucleotide (24.4%) repeats were the most abundant. Twenty-four finally selected microsatellite loci (including di- and tri-nucleotides) which exhibited polymorphism with unambiguous and reproducible amplification products, were used for detailed genetic diversity analysis on a set of 28 H. italicum samples. The Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) method based on the Jaccard index differentiated 27 genotypes into two main clusters according to their geographical origin (Northern and Southern Adriatic region), whereas the commercially available plant did not cluster with other H. italicum individuals and morphological evaluation confirmed that it belongs to Helichrysum angustifolium (Lam.) DC. The great diversity of H. italicum samples from the Adriatic observed by new microsatellites will serve for selection of most promising genotypes for propagation and their implementation in agricultural production. The first set of microsatellites developed in the present study provides a valuable resource of DNA markers for further breeding programs, germplasm characterization, and cross-species transferability studies.
•Antineoplastic properties of the Helichrysum italicum essential oil.•Biochemical profile of the essential oil by GC–MS analysis.•Study of the antioxidant activity of the curry plant essential ...oil.•Identification of a promising natural source of new anticancer compounds.
The antitumor effect of Helichrysum species has been rarely documented in literature. Thus, in the present work, the potential antineoplastic properties of the essential oil extracted from Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don flower heads by hydrodistillation were investigated. The biochemical profile of the essential oil was characterized by GC–MS analysis: Neryl acetate (33.97%), α-Pinene (28.50%), Nerol (7.97%), Neryl phenylacetate (7.11%) and β-Caryophyllene (5.71%) were the most abundant molecules of the phytocomplex. An absolute quantitation of five terpens (D-Limonene, β-Linalool, α-Terpineol, Nerol, and Neryl acetate) was also carried out, to further typify the oil chemotype. The antiproliferative effect of the essential oil was assessed on B16F10 murine melanoma cells, by Trypan Blue exclusion test and MTT assay. These preliminary analyses demonstrated that H. italicum essential oil was able to significantly inhibit tumor cell growth, in a dose and time-dependent manner, inducing only low levels of cytotoxicity. Probably, the bioactivity of this oil against the B16F10 cells was due to its elevated antioxidant power, which was measured by three different in vitro tests (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP). According to all these results, H. italicum essential oil might be considered a promising natural source of new anticancer compounds.
The antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties of methanolic extracts from four aromatic plants used in traditional medicine and food
Calamintha nepeta
(L.) Savi subsp.
nepeta
,
Helichrysum ...italicum
subsp.
picardii
Franco,
Mentha spicata
L. and
Origanum vulgare
subsp.
virens
(Hoffmanns. & Link) Bonnier & Layens were evaluated. The extract from
O. vulgare
exhibited the strongest DPPH (IC
50
of 4.65 ± 0.12 µg/ml) and ABTS (1479.56 ± 12.29 µmol
TE
/g
extract
) scavenging capacities, as well as the largest ferric reducing ability (1746.76 ± 45.11 µmol
AAE
/g
extract
). This extract also showed the highest total phenolic content (1597.20 ± 24.10 µmol
GAE
/g
extract
) and although HPLC–DAD analysis revealed rosmarinic acid as the main compound of the extract, other compounds seem to be involved in the antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the extract from
H. italicum
, which was found to be rich in caffeoylquinic and dicaffeoylquinic acids and in pinocembrin, showed the highest inhibitory potential against acetylcholinesterase, tyrosinase and α-glucosidase. Overall, the results obtained validate the usefulness of the studied plants as valuable sources of natural agents beneficial for human health.
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•This study reports the first characterization of corsican Helichrysum italicum odorants by Gas Chromatography Olfactometry.•The sample investigated was produced from 1 ton of plant ...material and is representative of the standard commercial quality.•The main constituent, neryl acetate was not a key odorant despite its content of 30%!•The 1,3-diketones (specific components of Helichrysum oils) are key odorants of the essential oil.
To better characterize the constituents responsible for the specific odor of Helichrysum italicum subsp. italicum, the key odorants of a sample of commercial essential oil produced industrially were identified by Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry (Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis) (GC-O AEDA). These compounds were characterized, together with 82 constituents, by careful fractionation procedures and Gas Chromatography-Mass spectrometry and GC-O analyses applied to the entire oil and to its fractions. Several authentic samples of reference constituents (purchased commercially or synthesized by original procedures) were co-injected to confirm some identifications. The most odor-active constituents perceived by all the panelists and showing the highest mean Flavor Dilution factor were 4,6-dimethyloctan-3,5-dione, 1,8-cineole and nerol. Many other constituents in low or, even, in trace amounts, also participate to the global odor of the essential oil.
With everyday advances in the field of pharmaceuticals, medicinal plants have high priority regarding the introduction of novel synthetic compounds by the usage of environmentally friendly extraction ...technologies. Herein, a supercritical CO
extraction method was implemented in the analysis of four plants (chamomile, St. John's wort, yarrow, and curry plant) after which the non-targeted analysis of the chemical composition, phenolic content, and antioxidant activity was evaluated. The extraction yield was the highest for the chamomile (5%), while moderate yields were obtained for the other three plants. The chemical composition analyzed by gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) and liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) demonstrated extraction of diverse compounds including terpenes and terpenoids, fatty acids, flavonoids and coumarins, functionalized phytosterols, and polyphenols. Voltammetry of microfilm immobilized on a glassy carbon electrode using square-wave voltammetry (SWV) was applied in the analysis of extracts. It was found that antioxidant activity obtained by SWV correlates well to 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhidrazine (DPPH) radical assay (R
= 0.818) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay (R
= 0.640), but not to the total phenolic content (R
= 0.092). Effective results were obtained in terms of activity showing the potential usage of supercritical CO2 extraction to acquire bioactive compounds of interest.
We herein evaluated the antibacterial effect of curry plant EO, a natural antibacterial agent, on B. cereus. The curry plant EO was encapsulated into liposomes to improve the chemical stability of EO ...and its active time. By a thin‐film dispersion method, soy lecithin, in combination with cholesterol, were used to prepare liposomes at various curry plant EO concentrations. The optimal formula for preparing liposome is a curry plant EO concentration of 5.0 mg/ml. The average particle size of liposomes containing curry plant EO was 196.6 nm with a PDI of 0.218 and the entrapment efficiency was 56.34%. The optimal liposomes containing curry plant EO gave a zeta potential of −31.1 mV. Besides, liposome‐encapsulated curry plant EO exhibited efficient antimicrobial activity for B. cereus in rice.
Practical applications
As a natural and safe antibacterial agent, curry plant EO shows an excellent antibacterial effect on B. cereus in rice. The concept in the present study may be useful in the future to deliver a variety of antimicrobials for the treatment of various infections caused by bacteria or other organisms. Hence, the antimicrobial agent has broad prospect in the field of food preservation.
Large angelica plant at centre of herb garden in corner of old country walled kitchen garden. Kent UK
credit: Marie-Louise Avery / thePictureKitchen / TopFoto
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