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Chemical composition and bioactivities of the essential oil from different organs of Ferula communis L. growing in Tunisia

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Abstract

The essential oils obtained by the hydrodistillation from the fresh flowers, leaves, stems, and roots of Ferula communis L., growing in Tunisia were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Thirty-two components were identified in the oil of flowers with camphor (18.3 %), α-pinene (15.3 %), and β-eudesmol (9.3 %) as the main constituents. Twenty-nine compounds were identified in the oil of stems with β-eudesmol (28.1 %), δ-eudesmol (11.1 %), and α-eudesmol (9.6 %) as the main compounds. Twenty compounds were characterized in the oil of roots with dillapiole (7.9 %), guaiol (7.3 %), and spathulenol (6.8 %). In the oil of leaves, α-eudesmol (25.2 %), β-eudesmol (20.7 %), δ-eudesmol (10.1 %), and caryophyllene oxide (7.2 %) were found as the main constituents. This study was undertaken to evaluate the antioxidant activity using DPPH (2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2′-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), reducing power, and catalase activity. We tested also the antibacterial, cytotoxic, and cholinesterase inhibition properties of the essential oil of different organs of F. communis. The essential oil of the stems showed the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 = 0.03 ± 0.001 mg mL−1), in DPPH assay and the important result of catalase (303.03 µmol H2O2 degraded/min/protein) of F. communis. The antibacterial activity of the oil was determined by micro-well dilution assay. The best results (MIC = 0.156 ± 0.02 mg mL−1) were exhibited by the essential oil of the leaves of F. Communis against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Besides, the strongest cytotoxic activity against Hela cells was shown with essential oils’ leaves with an inhibition percentage of 79.05 % at the concentration of 500 µg mL−1. However, the best inhibition percentage of A 549 cells was detected for essential oils’ leaves with an inhibition percentage of 54.56 % at 250 µg mL−1. Our finding showed that the essential oil of the flowers was the most active, with 64.623 % of inhibition against butyrylcholinesterase at 10 mg mL−1 from the incubation time of 30 min.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to Dr. Fethia Harzallah SKHIRI (Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, Tunisia) for the botanical identification, and Dr. Ali OTHMANE (Biophysics Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Monastir), and Dr. Maha MASTOURI (Laboratory of Microbiologie, Fattouma BOURGUIBA Hospital, Monastir, Tunisia) for their help in performing the cytotoxic and antimicrobial tests, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Heterocyclic Chemistry, Natural Products and Reactivity, Team: Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, Faculty of Science of Monastir, University of Monastir, Avenue of the Environment, 5019, Monastir, Tunisia

    Asma Nguir, Hichem Ben Jannet & M’hamed Ali Hamza

  2. Biochemistry and Toxicology Laboratory, University Hospital of Monastir, University of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia

    Hajer Mabrouk & Wahiba Douki

  3. Biophysics Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Monastir University, Monastir, Tunisia

    Manel Ben Ismail

  4. Dipartimento di Farmacia, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    Guido Flamini

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  1. Asma Nguir
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Correspondence to Hichem Ben Jannet.

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Nguir, A., Mabrouk, H., Douki, W. et al. Chemical composition and bioactivities of the essential oil from different organs of Ferula communis L. growing in Tunisia. Med Chem Res 25, 515–525 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00044-016-1506-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00044-016-1506-1

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