Chemical composition and pharmacological activities of essential oils of Lavandula spp.

Lavandula spp. belong to the family Lamiatae and some species are often used in popular medicine and have been used for centuries in a large number of medical applications and in aromatherapy. Although similar ethnobotanical properties of Lavandula spp., its essential oils, general chemical composition and therapeutic applications differ from different species. Lavandula stoechas L. subsps. luisieri (Rozeira) Rozeira and L. viridis L’Hér are endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, widespread in the South of Portugal, namely in Southern Alentejo and Algarve. The aim of our study was evaluate the chemical composition and toxicological and pharmacological activities of leaves essential oils of spontaneous plants of L. stoechas L. subsps. luisieri (Alentejo) and L. viridis (Algarve). The essential oils of these wild plants, collected in spring, were obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus and its chemical composition was evaluated by GC/FID. The acute toxicity of essential oils was evaluated "in vitro" using brine shrimp (LC50) and "in vivo" using Swiss mice (DL50). The analgesic and anti-inflammatory pharmacological properties of L. stoechas subsp. luisieri essential oil were evaluated in mouse or rats by the Amour-Smith and carrageen-induced paw edema tests, respectively. Results showed important differences in chemical composition of essential oils from two species analyzed either to diversity and proportion of its constituents. The essentials oils showed citotoxicity against Artemia salina and a DL50 higher than 2000 mg/kg for mice. The analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of essential oils were exhibit for the doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OILS OF LAVANDULA SPP.

Lavenders belong to the family Labiatae and represent some of the most popular medicinal plants of great economic importance. Their essential oils are important for the perfume, cosmetic, flavouring and pharmaceutical industries. However, despite its popularity, and the long tradition of use, biological properties of the various Lavandula species are not yet been well sustained by scientific or clinical studies and some available data being inconclusive and controversial [1]. Although Lavandula spp. have similar ethnobotanical properties, however, chemical composition and therapeutic uses differ from different species and main composition of essential oils showed differences with species and with the region were they grow [1,2,3]. L. stoechas L. subsps. luisieri (Rozeira) Rozeira. L. pedunculata (Mill.) Cav. and L. viridis L’Hér are endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, widespread in the South of Portugal, namely in Alentejo and Algarve. In our work, essential oils from the stems or leaves from wild grown plants of L. luisieri (Alentejo), L. pedunculata (Alentejo) and L. viridis (Algarve), were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-FID. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by solid diffusion disk assay and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) against pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and food spoilage fungi.

Effect of storage on physical-chemical properties and phenolics of sweet cherry from São Julião region.

Effect of storage on physical-chemical properties and phenolics of sweet cherry from São Julião region. A.C. Agulheiro-Santos1, F. Vieira1, D. Gonzalez2, M. Lozano2, V. Palma1, A.E. Rato1 1Universidade de Évora. Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânica (ICAAM). 7000 Évora, Portugal. 2Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de Extremadura (CICYTEX). Ctra. San Vicente. Finca Santa Engracia. 06071 Badajoz, Spain. Worldwide the consumption of fruit and vegetables is increasing due to the dietary guidelines recommended by nutritionist. Because of their high content on phenols, vitamins, mineral and antioxidants, berry fruits are consumed not only in fresh forms but also as processed and derivative products such as juices, yogurts, jellies and dried fruits. As a high consumed red fruit, sweet cherry has been the focus on some studies, mainly regarding bioactive compounds content. “Sweetheart” cherries from São Julião region (Alentejo, Portugal) from two different production campaigns were kept in different storage conditions in order to evaluate both the environmental and storage effect on some physical-chemical properties and phenolics. Cold conditions - Cold (1 ºC, 95% RH) and modified atmosphere - MA (1 ºC, 95% RH with micro-perforated bags of Pplus®, Sidlaw Packaging, Bristol, UK) were tested. In order to establish the appropriate storage conditions, individual phenolic acids and physical-chemical properties were analysed during two consecutive years. Results show a general decrease on phenolic compounds content between cherries from both years. It is also observed that MA conditions do not affect significantly both phenolics and physical-chemical parameters when compared with Cold conditions. Additionally, it is observed similar behaviour on Cold and MA sweet cherries regarding its pH, total soluble solids content (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and colour and individual phenols during storage time. Concluding, these results show, as expected, changes between cultivars which may be correlated with the environmental conditions on different years. Keywords: sweet cherry, postharvest, phenols, physical-chemical, storage conditions.