Chalchat, J.-C.

The chemical composition of flower, leaves and stems from basil

(Ocimum basilicum L.) have been examined by GC and GC-MS. The identified
components constituting 99.03%, 95.04% and 97.66% of the flower, leaves and stem oils,
respectively. The main constituents of the essential oil of flower, leaves and stem oils,
respectively, were estragole (58.26%, 52.60% and 15.91%) and limonene (19.41%,
13.64% and 2.40%) and p-cymene (0.38%, 2.32% and 2.40%). Dill apiole (50.07%) was
identified as the highest main constituent for stem. Estragole (15.91%), apiole (9.48) and
exo-fenchyle acetate (6.14%) followed in order to decreasing them. Minor qualitative and
major quantitative variations for some compounds of essential oils were determined with
respect to different parts of O. basilicum. It was reported that the chemical composition
of different parts oils of basil are very variable. It is known that specific estragole
chemotypes are also known. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Reis, A.Ocimum (Lamiaceae) is an important plant genus, with many species used
for food flavorings and for essential oils. Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.
basilici, FOB) is the most important disease of basil (O. basilicum L.). Twenty-five
accessions of O. basilicum, five of O. americanum and two of O. campechianum
were initially evaluated for resistance to one FOB isolate (named as FOB-1). Eight
accessions (identified as resistant to FOB-1) and one susceptible control were
reevaluated to FOB-1 and four other FOB isolates of distinct geographic origins. The
FOB isolates varied in aggressiveness and interacted differentially with the Ocimum
accessions. Two accessions of O. americanum, one of O. campechianum, and one of
O. basilicum had high levels of resistance to all five FOB isolates. The Ocimum
germplasm identified here could represent useful sources of resistance genes for
developing cultivars with wide-spectrum resistance (i.e., effective against a broad
range of FOB isolates). In addition, having a set of potential differential accessions
might be useful for large-scale analysis of FOB isolates to demonstrate the presence
of physiological races in the Ocimum-FOB pathosystem. © 2008 The
Phytopathological Society of Japan and Springer.

Fandohan, POils of Cymbopogon citratus, Ocimum gratissimum and Ocimum

basilicum are widely used for their medicinal properties, and as food flavours and
perfumes. Recently in a study in West Africa, these oils have been recommended to
combat Fusarium verticillioides and subsequent fumonisin contamination in stored
maize, but their toxicological profile was not investigated. The current study was
undertaken to provide data on acute and subacute toxicity as well as on gastric
tolerance of these oils in rat. For this purpose, the oils were given by gavage to
Wistar rats for 14 consecutive days. The animals were observed daily for their
general behaviour and survival, and their visceral organs such as stomach and liver
were taken after sacrifice for histological analyses. A dose-dependent effect of the
tested oils was observed during the study. Applied at doses generally higher than
1500 mg/kg body weight, the oils caused significant functional damages to stomach
and liver of rat. Unlike the other oils, administration of O. gratissimum oil did not
result in adverse effects in rat liver at the tested doses. The no observed adverse
effect level (NOAEL) of the tested oils has been established. The three tested oils can
be considered as safe to human when applied on stored maize at recommended
concentrations
Siddique, IAn efficient, rapid and large scale propagation of a multipurpose herb,
Ocimum basilicum through in vitro culture of nodal segments with axillary buds
from mature plants has been accomplished. Among the cytokinins, 6-benzyladenine
(BA), thidiazuron (TDZ), kinetin (Kin) and 2-isopentenyl adenine (2-iP) tested as
supplements to Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, 5.0 μM BA was optimum in
inducing bud break. The highest rate of shoot multiplication was achieved on half-
strength MS medium supplemented with 2.5 μM BA and 0.5 μM indole-3-acetic acid
(IAA) combination. The shoots regenerated from TDZ supplemented medium when
subcultured to hormone-free MS medium considerably increased the rate of shoot
multiplication and shoot length by the end of third subculture. For rooting, MS
medium supplemented with 1.0 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) proved to be better
than that supplemented with IAA or α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The in vitro
raised plantlets with well developed shoots and roots were successfully established in
earthen pots containing garden soil and were grown in greenhouse with 90% survival
rate. Chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids and net photosynthetic rate were measured in
leaves during ex vitro acclimatization at 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Firstly these
parameters showed a decreasing trend but subsequently increased after 7 days of
acclimatization. These findings indicate that the adaptation of micropropagated
plants to ex vitro conditions is more extended in time than generally accepted. ©
2008 Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Karaman, S.Different concentrations (0.25,0.5,1,10 mM) of Spermine, Spermidine

and Putrescine were applied to Ocimum basilicum seeds and the essential oil
composition of basil cultivars were analyzed by GC and GC/M S. Main compounds of
basil plants were obtained as linalool and 1,8-cineole in all polyamines treatment.
Although spermine treatments led to an increase of the linalool contents (between
40.4% and 56.8%) at all concentrations, high 1,8-cineole content (between 9.6%
and 17.8%) were observed after spermidine treatments. © 2008 Allured Publishing
Corp.

Chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oils

from aerial parts of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) as affected by four seasonal,
namely summer, autumn, winter and spring growing variation were investigated. The
hydro-distilled essential oils content ranged from 0.5% to 0.8%, the maximum
amounts were observed in winter while minimum in summer. The essential oils
consisted of linalool as the most abundant component (56.7-60.6%), followed by
epi-α-cadinol (8.6-11.4%), α-bergamotene (7.4-9.2%) and γ-cadinene (3.2-5.4%).
Samples collected in winter were found to be richer in oxygenated monoterpenes
(68.9%), while those of summer were higher in sesquiterpene hydrocarbons
(24.3%). The contents of most of the chemical constituents varied significantly (p <
0.05) with different seasons. The essential oils investigated, exhibited good
antioxidant activity as measurements by DPPH free radical-scavenging ability,
bleaching β-carotene in linoleic acid system and inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation.
Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of the essential oils and linalool, the most
abundant component, against bacterial strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia
coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pasteurella multocida and pathogenic fungi Aspergillus niger,
Mucor mucedo, Fusarium solani, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Rhizopus solani was
assessed by disc diffusion method and measurement of determination of minimum
inhibitory concentration. The results of antimicrobial assays indicated that all the
tested microorganisms were affected. Both the antioxidant and antimicrobial
activities of the oils varied significantly (p < 0.05), as seasons changed. © 2007
Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oils

from aerial parts of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) as affected by four seasonal,
namely summer, autumn, winter and spring growing variation were investigated. The
hydro-distilled essential oils content ranged from 0.5% to 0.8%, the maximum
amounts were observed in winter while minimum in summer. The essential oils
consisted of linalool as the most abundant component (56.7-60.6%), followed by
epi-α-cadinol (8.6-11.4%), α-bergamotene (7.4-9.2%) and γ-cadinene (3.2-5.4%).
Samples collected in winter were found to be richer in oxygenated monoterpenes
(68.9%), while those of summer were higher in sesquiterpene hydrocarbons
(24.3%). The contents of most of the chemical constituents varied significantly (p <
0.05) with different seasons. The essential oils investigated, exhibited good
antioxidant activity as measurements by DPPH free radical-scavenging ability,
bleaching β-carotene in linoleic acid system and inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation.
Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of the essential oils and linalool, the most
abundant component, against bacterial strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia
coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pasteurella multocida and pathogenic fungi Aspergillus niger,
Mucor mucedo, Fusarium solani, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Rhizopus solani was
assessed by disc diffusion method and measurement of determination of minimum
inhibitory concentration. The results of antimicrobial assays indicated that all the
tested microorganisms were affected. Both the antioxidant and antimicrobial
activities of the oils varied significantly (p < 0.05), as seasons changed. © 2007
Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

López, M.DEssential oils, distilled from seeds of Coriander sativum and Carum carvii
and from leaves of five different varieties of Ocimum basilicum, were fractionated
by column chromatography and tested in the laboratory for volatile toxicity against
three stored rice pests (Sitophilus oryzae, Rhyzopertha dominica and Cryptolestes
pusillus). The active fractions were analyzed by GC-MS. Coriander contained linalool
(1617 ppm of the oil) as the main product active against the three pests. Camphor-
rich fractions (over 400 ppm) were very toxic to R. dominica and C. pusillus. The
caraway profile included carvone and limonene as expected but (E)-anethole,
generally regarded as a minor product in the essential oil of this species, was also a
major component, being present at 365 ppm. Carvone was the most effective (972
ppm) monoterpenoid against S. oryzae. In addition, (E)-anethole at 880 ppm was
toxic to R. dominica while vapors of limonene (1416 ppm) and fenchone-rich (554
ppm) fractions killed adults of C. pusillus only. Three major essential oil profiles were
present in the five varieties of O. basilicum analyzed: methyl eugenol/estragole,
estragole and estragole/linalool chemotypes. The abundance of components had a
strong influence on the outcome of the bioassays. Fractions, where combinations of
products occurred with or without other minor compounds, were often more toxic
than any one compound alone. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Abstract
Khattak, K.F.In the present study, the radiation processing of Nigella sativa seed
samples was carried out at dose levels of 2, 4, 8, 10, 12 and 16 kGy. The extraction
yield, total phenolic content and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-
scavenging activity of both control and irradiated samples extracted in acetone,
methanol and water were assessed. The results showed that the extraction yields
increased with an increase in radiation dose for all the test solvents. At 16 kGy the
increases were 3.7%, 4.2%, 5.6% and 9.0% for hexane, acetone, water and
methanol extracts, respectively. The phenolic content in the acetone extract was
found to be increased from 3.7 for the control sample to 3.8 mg/g for the 16 kGy
radiation-processed sample. No significant change was observed for the phenolic
content of the methanolic extract, while the aqueous extract showed a decrease at
dose levels of 12 and 16 kGy. In the control samples, the DPPH radical-scavenging
activity was 79.4%, 79.1% and 92.0% for water, acetone and methanol extracts,
respectively, at 5 mg/ml concentration. Gamma irradiation enhanced the scavenging
activity in acetone and methanol extracts by 10.6% and 5.4%, respectively, at 16
kGy. In summary, gamma irradiation increased the extraction yield and total
phenolic content, as well as enhancing the free radical-scavenging activity. In
addition, the type of solvent used for extraction also affected the impact of
irradiation on antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of N. sativa seed. ©
2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Erkan, N.Antioxidant activities of three pure compounds: carnosic acid, rosmarinic

acid and sesamol, as well as two plant extracts: rosemary extract and blackseed
essential oil, were examined by applying DPPH{radical dot} and ABTS{radical dot}+ radical-
scavenging assays and the ferric thiocyanate test. All three test methods proved that
rosemary extract had a higher antioxidant activity than blackseed essential oil. The
order of antioxidant activity of pure compounds showed variations in different tests.
This was attributed to structural factors of individual compounds. Phenolic contents
of blackseed essential oil and rosemary extract were also determined. Rosemary
extract was found to have a higher phenolic content than blackseed essential oil.
This fact was utilised in explaining the higher antioxidant activity of rosemary
extract. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dirjomuljono, M.Acute tonsillopharyngitis is characterized by tonsil or pharyngeal

inflammation and mostly is a virus in origin; thus, treatment that covers both the
inflammation and inadequate immune response against the pathogenic organism is
needed. NSPN extract containing Nigella sativa and Phyllanthus niruri extracts has
both antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. A comparative, parallel,
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with a treatment period of 7 days
was conducted to examine clinical effectiveness of Nigella sativa and Phyllanthus
niruri extract (NSPN extract). Of 200 enrolled patients, 186 patients completed the
study, 12 patients withdrew and 2 patients were principally screened failure but
inadvertently included. NSPN capsules, each containing 360 mg Nigella sativa and
50 mg Phyllanthus niruri extracts, were orally administered 3 times 1 capsule daily
for 7 days. At Hour 5 or 6 of the first dosing of study medication, the sore throat
assessed as swallowing pain and difficulty, was markedly alleviated in the NSPN
group. In line with the significant alleviation of pain, from Days 0 to 2 of treatment,
subjects in the NSPN group also needed significantly less escape "analgesic" therapy
(paracetamol tablets) than those in the placebo group. At the end of treatment (Day
7), a significantly greater proportion of patients in the NSPN group than in the
placebo group had their sore throat completely relieved. NSPN extract was also
found to be safe and well tolerated in acute tonsillo-pharyngitis patients. This study
proved significant benefits of NSPN extract in the treatment of acute
tonsillopharyngitis as compared to placebo

. Al-Mahasneh, M.A Engineering and thermal properties of black cumin seeds at

5.3% (w.b.) moisture content were obtained. Seed length, width and thickness
ranged from 2.85 to 3.27 mm, 1.36 to 1.81 mm and 0.84 to 1.22 mm, respectively.
Geometric mean diameter, effective mean diameter, sphericity and roundness
ranged from 1.55 to 1.88 mm, 1.63 to 1.77 mm, 51.6 to 60.7% and 66.0 to 71.4%,
respectively. One hundred seed mass, true density, bulk density and porosity ranged
from 2.35 to 2.85 g, 992 to 1094.1 kg m-3, 538.4 to 568.4 kg m-3 and 46.6 to
48.1%, respectively. Average static friction coefficient on mild steel, stainless steel,
galvanised steel, aluminum and plywood were 0.36, 0.22, 0.39, 0.33 and 0.52,
respectively. Angle of repose and terminal velocity ranged from 32.2 to 34.7°, and
from 5.4 to 5.9 m s-1. Specific heat and thermal conductivity varied from 1672 to
2091 J kg-1 K., 0.16 to 0.21 W m-1 K., respectively. © 2007 Institute of Food Science
and Technology Trust Fund.

Ene, A.CFifteen plants were screened for in vivo antimalarial activity in albino mice.
The plants are Mormodica balsamina, Artemisia maciverae, Xylopia aethiopica,
Cyperus articulatus, Guiera senegalensis. Syzygium aromaticum, Zingiber
officinale, Thonningea sanguinea, Sorghum sp., Securinega virosa B, Chrozophora
senegalensis, Feretia apodanthera, Diospyrous mespiltformis, Centaturea perrottetti
and Acacia nilotica Del. The petroleum ethar, chloroform and methanol extracts from
the various parts of the plants were screened for in vivo antimalarial activity in mice
experimentally infected with Plasmodium berghei. Three days after inducing the
malaria, the plant extracts were administered intraperitoneally to the mice daily for
four days, while chloroquine was used as a standard drug control. Parasitaemia was
monitored microscopically in all the groups for four days using thick and thin blood
films obtained from tail vein of each mouse. At the end of this study, it was observed
that the chloroform extracts of Artemisia maciverae (whole plant), Xylopia aethiopica
(fruits) and Acacia nilotica Del (Leaves) have antimalarial activity. The methanol
extracts of Syzygium aromanticum (cloves) and Zingiber officinale (tuber stem)
showed slight antimalarial activity, while the rest of the plant extracts earlier listed
showed no noticeable activity. These results suggest that many plants used as
recipes in ethnomedical preparation for malaria, have no direct antimalarial activity.
© 2008 Academic Journals Inc.

Wu, Y.-W.aAs a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), 'Red Flower Oil' preparation is
widely used as a household remedy in China and Southeast Asia. Usually, the
preparation is a mixture of several plant essential oils with different volatile features,
such as wintergreen oil, turpentine oil and clove oil. The proportions of these plant
essential oils in 'Red Flower Oil' vary from different manufacturers. Thus, it is
important to develop a simple and rapid evaluation method for quality assurance of
the preparations. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) was applied and two-
dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy (2D IR) based on the volatile
characteristic of samples was used to enhance the resolution of FT-IR spectra. 2D IR
technique could, not only easily provide the composition and their volatile sequences
in 'Red flower Oil' preparations, but also rapidly discriminate the subtle differences in
products from different manufacturers. Therefore, FT-IR combined with volatility-
dependent 2D IR correlation analysis provides a very fast and effective method for
the quality control of essential oil mixtures in TCM. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights
reserved

Saito, KTo search for edible herbal extracts with potent antioxidant activity, we
conducted a large scale screening based on the superoxide scavenging activity. That
is, scavenging activity against superoxide anions were extensively screened from
ethanol extracts of approximately 1,000 kinds of herbs by applying an electron spin
resonance (ESR)-spin trapping method. Among them we chose four edible herbal
extracts with prominently potent ability to reduce the signal intensity of 5,5-
dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO)-OOH, a spin adduct formed by DMPO and
superoxide anion. They are the extracts from Punica granatum (Peel), Syzygium
aromaticum (Bud), Mangifera indica (Kernel), and Phyllanthus emblica (Fruit), and
are allowed to be used as foodstuffs according to the Japanese legal regulation. The
ESR-spin trapping method coupled with steady state kinetic analysis showed that all
of the four extracts directly scavenge superoxide anions, and that the superoxide
scavenging potential of any of the extracts was comparable to that of L-ascorbic
acid. Furthermore, polyphenol determination indicates that the activity is at least in
part attributable to polyphenols. These results with such large scale screening might
give useful information when choosing a potent antioxidant as a foodstuff. © 2008
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Raybaudi-Massilia, R.MCinnamon, clove, and lemongrass essential oils (EOs) and

their active compounds cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and citral, respectively, were
investigated for their effectiveness as antimicrobial agents in an alginate-based
edible coating (EC) on freshcut Fuji apples. This EC also contained malic acid, N-
acetyl-L-cysteine, glutathione, and calcium lactate as quality stabilizing compounds.
The EC applied on apple pieces effectively maintained the physicochemical
characteristics of the apple pieces for more than 30 days, decreased the respiration
rate, reduced the Escherichia coli O157:H7 population by about 1.23 log CFU/g at
day 0, and extended the microbiological shelf life by at least 19 days. The addition of
EOs at 0.7% (vol/vol) or their active compounds at 0.5% (vol/vol) into the EC
increased its antimicrobial effect, reduced the E. coli O157:H7 population by more
than 4 log CFU/g, and extended the microbiological shelf life by more than 30 days.
However, those concentrations of EOs affected the physicochemical characteristics of
fresh-cut apples and thus limited their shelf life from 7 to 21 days. Lemongrass and
cinnamon EOs (0.7%), citral (0.5%), and cinnamaldehyde (0.5%) were the most
effective compounds for extending microbiological shelf life, whereas lemongrass,
cinnamon, and clove EOs at 0.3% (vol/vol) best maintained the physicochemical
characteristics of the product. Apple pieces with EC at day 0 and with EC with or
without lemongrass EO at 0.7% at day 15 were preferred by the panelists. ECs
containing natural antimicrobials and quality stabilizing compounds may be useful for
extending the shelf life of fresh-cut fruits. Copyright ©, International Association for
Food Protection.

Park, M.O.The efficacy of clove oil as an anaesthetic and at producing a physiological

response (plasma cortisol and glucose) was evaluated in the kelp grouper,
Epinephelus bruneus. To acquire complete anaesthesia in less than 3 min and
recovery in <10 min, three doses of clove oil were tested at 18, 22 and 26°C.
Although higher anaesthetic doses resulted in shorter induction times and longer
recovery times, and a lower temperature resulted in longer anaesthesia induction
and slower recovery, we found the optimal dose and administering temperature of
clove oil to be 250-300 mg L-1 at water temperature of 18°C, 150-200 mg L-1 at
water temperature of 22°C and 50-100 mg L-1 at water temperature of 26°C
respectively. Following the administration of 150 mg L-1 of clove oil at 22°C, the
plasma cortisol level was highest (4.24 ± 1.571 μg dL-1) after 12 h and the plasma
glucose was highest (92.7 ± 9.61 mg dL-1) after 2 h. These results should be useful
to the aquaculture industry, where anaesthesia is necessary for a range of activities.
© 2008 The Authors.

Van Der Wolf, J.MVarious essential oils, organic acids, Biosept, (grapefruit extract),
Tillecur and extracts of stinging nettle and golden rod were tested for their
antimicrobial properties in order to disinfect vegetable seed. In in vitro assays,
thyme oil, Oregano oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil and Biosept had the highest activity
against the seed borne pathogens Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris,
Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, Alternaria dauci and Botrytis aclada.
Low antimicrobial activity was found for the organic acids against the fungal
pathogens. Seed treatment for 0.5 h with selected essential oils or Biosept in
concentrations between 0.1 and 1% eliminated > 99% of total bacteria associated
with cabbage seed. It also reduced the percentage of seeds contaminated with fungi
in blotter tests from 70% to less than 10%. Extended periods of treatment did not
significantly improve results. Cinnamon oil and Biosept used in concentrations
exceeding 1% had a negative effect on seed germination. Antimicrobial effects with
organic acids were variable, but in general, the organic acids ascorbic acids,
propionic acid, acetic acid and lactic acid at concentrations of 2.5% or higher,
reduced seed-associated bacteria. Of the organic acids, only propionic acid reduced
seed germination at a concentration higher than 1%. Thyme oil was considered the
most promising natural compound for reducing seed borne pathogens in seed.
Mbarawa, M. In this study the performance, emission and economic evaluation of
using the clove stem oil (CSO)-diesel blended fuels as alternative fuels for diesel
engine have been carried out. Experiments were performed to evaluate the impact of
the CSO-diesel blended fuels on the engine performance and emissions. The societal
life cycle cost (LCC) was chosen as an important indicator for comparing alternative
fuel operating modes. The LCC using the pure diesel fuel, 25% CSO and 50% CSO-
diesel blended fuels in diesel engine are analysed. These costs include the vehicle
first cost, fuel cost and exhaust emissions cost. A complete macroeconomic
assessment of the effect of introducing the CSO-diesel blended fuels to the diesel
engine is not included in the study. Engine tests show that performance parameters
of the CSO-diesel blended fuels do not differ greatly from those of the pure diesel
fuel. Slight power losses, combined with an increase in fuel consumption, were
experienced with the CSO-diesel blended fuels. This is due to the low heating value
of the CSO-diesel blended fuels. Emissions of CO and HC are low for the CSO-diesel
blended fuels. NOx emissions were increased remarkably when the engine was
fuelled with the 50% CSO-diesel blended fuel operation mode. A remarkable
reduction in the exhaust smoke emissions can be achieved when operating on the
CSO-diesel blended fuels. Based on the LCC analysis, the CSO-diesel blended fuels
would not be competitive with the pure diesel fuel, even though the environmental
impact of emission is valued monetarily. This is due to the high price of the CSO. ©
2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shemesh, E.Recent collections of fertile garlic (Allium sativum) accessions from

Central Asia allow a detailed study of seedling developments and the evaluation of
inherent variations. We hereby provide a comprehensive account of the ontogenesis
of a population of garlic seedlings and their vegetative and reproductive traits. A
nucleotide binding site profiling marker technology was applied to provide conclusive
evidence for the cross-pollination nature of garlic, and to compare the levels of
polymorphism between progeny derived from a single mother clone fertilized by
several pollinators. The seedlings' population demonstrates a large variation in
vegetative and reproductive characters, including bulbing ability, bulb color and size,
clove number, and response to environmental conditions, similar to that of the
genepool of vegetatively propagated garlic clones. In addition, a large variation in
flowering and seed production ability was recorded. The understanding of garlic
physiology, the availability of the large variability unleashed by sexual reproduction,
and the possible utilization of sexual hybridization opens the way for genetic studies
and breeding work. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.

Nwaopara, A.O.Allergic reactions have been associated with cloves, black pepper and
mast cells. The presence of mast cells and renal fibrosis has also been reported and
in line with an ongoing investigation on the effects of excessive consumption of Yaji -
the complex Nigerian meat sauce, this study was designed to correlate the individual
and combined effects of the excessive consumption of Yaji-spices (ginger, clove, red
pepper and black pepper) on the histology of the kidney, using 12 adult rabbits. The
animals were divided into six groups of two (2) each (A, B, C, D, E and F). Groups B,
C, D, E and F were the test groups whereas group A is the control. For 21 days, test
group B was fed with feed and a combination of all the yaji-spices (3g each) while
test groups C, D, E, and F were fed with feed and 3g each of the spices per day
respectively. The histological observations showed that there were no effect on the
kidneys in test groups C and E whereas in B, D and F, there were distinct round
basophilic bodies in the interstitium of the renal cortex, which were suspected to be
mast cells, and hence, implicating cloves and black pepper. This result suggests a
possible mechanism of renal damage that is clove and black pepper feeding-induced,
duration dependent and with mast cell mobilization into the kidney, that may then
trigger renal fibrosis. © Asian Network for Scientific Information, 2008.

Meyer, S.L.F.aBACKGROUND: Clove oil, derived from the plant Syzygium

aromaticum (L.) Merr. & Perry, is active against various organisms, and was
prepared in a soy lecithin/detergent formulation to determine concentrations active
against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood.
RESULTS: In microwell assays, the mean effective clove oil concentration that
reduced egg hatch by 50% (EC50) was 0.097% (v/v) clove oil; the EC50 for second-
stage juvenile (J2) viability was 0.145% clove oil (compared with carrier control
treatments). Volatiles from 5.0% clove oil reduced nematode egg hatch in water by
30%, and decreased viability of hatched J2 by as much as 100%. Reductions were
not as large with nematodes in carrier. In soil trials with J2 recovered from
Baermann funnels, the EC50 = 0.192% clove oil (compared with water controls).
CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that the tested formulation is active against
M. incognita eggs and J2, that the EC50 values for J2 in the microwell studies and the
soil recovery tests were similar to each other and that direct contact with the clove
oil is needed for optimal management results with this natural product. © 2007
Society of Chemical Industry.

Rathore, P.aTurmeric is a source of numerous aromatic compounds isolated from

powdered rhizomes of Curcuma longa Linn. The constituents are present as volatile
oil, the Curcuma oil (C.oil), semi-solid oleoresins and non-volatile compounds such
as curcumin. A rapidly expanding body of data provides evidence of the anti-cancer
action of Curcumin, and most importantly in the present context, its neuroprotective
activity. Almost nothing is known about such activity of C.oil. We report that C.oil
(500 mg Kg-1 i.p.) 15 min before 2 h middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo)
followed by 24 h reflow in rats significantly diminished infarct volume, improved
neurological deficit and counteracted oxidative stress. The percent ischemic lesion
volume on diffusion-weighted imaging was significantly attenuated. Mitochondrial
membrane potential, reactive oxygen species, peroxynitrite levels, caspase-3
activities leading to delayed neuronal death were significantly inhibited after
treatment with C.oil. These results suggest that the neuroprotective activity of C.oil
against cerebral ischemia is associated with its antioxidant activities and further;
there is attenuation of delayed neuronal death via a caspase-dependent pathway.
C.oil appears to be a promising agent not only for the treatment of cerebral stroke,
but also for the treatment of other disorders associated with oxidative stress. ©
2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Musaiger, A.O.The occurrence of mycotoxins (aflatoxins, zearalenone,
deoxynivalenol), heavy metals and pesticide residues in 198 susceptible food
commodities available in Bahrain was determined. Aflatoxins were found in many of
the foods tested and three samples of red chili powder (35.9, 52.6 and 69.2 ng/g),
one sample of black pepper powder (27.7 ng/g) and one sample of unshelled
pistachio nuts (81.6 ng/g) exceeded the maximum allowable limit of aflatoxins.
Zearalenone was present in some samples including cornflakes (3.1 ng/g) and
crushed wheat (0.3 ng/g). Although many samples contained heavy metals, one
sample of cinnamon powder (13.0 μg/g) and one sample of black pepper powder
(11.2 μg/g) exceeded the maximum allowable limit for lead. The average levels of
cadmium were highest in cinnamon powder (0.3 μg/g) and ginger powder (0.3
μg/g). Some amount of pesticides was found in cumin powder (0.06 μg/g of
lindane), turmeric power (0.04 μg/g heptachlor) and coriander powder (0.4 μg/g
permethrin). Almonds, peanuts, cashew nuts infant formulas were free of
contaminants. Although the contamination of most foods in Bahrain was within the
limit, strengthening of the food control systems is important. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All
rights reserved.

Kumar, A. Sleep is essential for the physical and mental health of a human being.
Problems of sleep deprivation are increasing in modern society nowadays. Recently,
various antioxidants have been implicated as neuroprotectants in the treatment of
stress and stress related problems. The present study was designed to explore the
possible role of nitric oxide in the protective effect of Curcumin (Curcuma longa,
Zingiberaceae) against 72-h sleep deprivation-induced behavioral alterations and
oxidative damage in mice. 72-h sleep deprivation significantly caused weight loss,
anxiety like behavior, impaired locomotor activity and oxidative damage (increased
lipid peroxidation, nitrite level and deplete glutathione and catalase activity) in
animals. Treatment with Curcumin extract (10 and 20 mg/kg, ip) for 5 days
significantly prevented weight loss, impairment in locomotor activity, anxiety like
effects in all behavioral paradigms tasks (mirror chamber, plus maze, zero maze) as
compared to control (72-h sleep-deprived) (P<0.05). Biochemically, Curcumin
extract treatment significantly restored depleted reduced glutathione, catalase
activity, attenuated raised lipid peroxidation and nitrite level as compared to control
(72-h sleep-deprived) animals. Further, pretreatment of l-arginine (50 mg/kg, ip),
nitric oxide precursor reversed the protective effect of Curcumin (10 mg/kg, ip)
(P<0.05). However, pretreatment of l-NAME (5 mg/kg, ip), nitric oxide synthase
inhibitor caused a potentiation in the protective effect of Curcumin (P<0.05). The
present study suggests that nitric oxide modulation is involved in the protective
effect of Curcumin in ameliorating sleep deprivation-induced behavioral alterations
and oxidative damage. © 2008 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Dohare, P.The antioxidant activity of C.oil in cerebral stroke has been reported
earlier. We have attempted here to clarify the mechanisms underlying the
neuroprotection against experimental cerebral ischemia by Curcuma oil (C.oil),
isolated from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa. C.oil (250 mg/kg i.p.) was given 30
min before focal ischemia in rats caused by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (1
h of occlusion, 24 h of reflow). Ischemia, leads to elevation in [Ca2+] this sets into
motion a cascades of ischemic injury which was attenuated by C.oil. C.oil reduced
post-ischemic brain neutrophil infiltration in the ischemic area, controlled tissue NOx
levels and the neuronal levels of nitric oxide, peroxynitrite and reactive oxygen
species when measured after 24 h of reflow. Double immunofluorescence staining
analysis and Western immunoblot analysis with C.oil treatment showed that the
expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms were decreased significantly
compared to the untreated ischemia group. Ischemia is associated with increased in
TUNEL (TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling) positive cells in brain sections
indicating DNA fragmentation. The C.oil treated group showed a significant decrease
in numbers of apoptotic cells compared to the untreated ischemia group, as seen in
the flowcytometric analysis of the neurons. Results of immunohistochemistry and
Western immunoblot indicate that C.oil suppressed the elevated protein level of Bax,
and aided mitochondrial translocation and activation of Bcl-2 by altered
mitochondrial membrane potential. It also inhibits the cytosolic release of
apoptogenic molecules like cytochrome c, inhibits the activation of caspase-3 and the
expression of p53 ultimately inhibiting apoptosis. Our observations suggest that high
levels of NO generated by NOS isoforms are partially responsible for exacerbating
the neuronal damage induced by MCAo by intraluminal filament. © 2008 Elsevier
Inc. All rights reserved

Ak, T. Curcumin (diferuoyl methane) is a phenolic compound and a major

component of Curcuma longa L. In the present paper, we determined the
antioxidant activity of curcumin by employing various in vitro antioxidant assays
such as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl free radical (DPPH{radical dot}) scavenging,
2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging
activity, N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride (DMPD) radical
scavenging activity, total antioxidant activity determination by ferric thiocyanate,
total reducing ability determination by the Fe3+-Fe2+ transformation method,
superoxide anion radical scavenging by the riboflavin/methionine/illuminate system,
hydrogen peroxide scavenging and ferrous ions (Fe2+) chelating activities. Curcumin
inhibited 97.3% lipid peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion at 15 μg/mL concentration
(20 mM). On the other hand, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA, 123 mM), butylated
hydroxytoluene (BHT, 102 mM), α-tocopherol (51 mM) and trolox (90 mM) as
standard antioxidants indicated inhibition of 95.4, 99.7, 84.6 and 95.6% on
peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion at 45 μg/mL concentration, respectively. In
addition, curcumin had an effective DPPH{radical dot} scavenging, ABTS{radical
dot}+ scavenging, DMPD{radical dot}+ scavenging, superoxide anion radical
scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, ferric ions (Fe3+) reducing power and
ferrous ions (Fe2+) chelating activities. Also, BHA, BHT, α-tocopherol and trolox, were
used as the reference antioxidant and radical scavenger compounds. According to
the present study, curcumin can be used in the pharmacological and food industry
because of
Krishnaswamy, K. India has been recognized all over the world for spices and
medicinal plants. Both exhibit a wide range of physiological and pharmacological
properties. Current biomedical efforts are focused on their scientific merits, to
provide science-based evidence for the traditional uses and to develop either
functional foods or nutraceuticals. The Indian traditional medical systems use
turmeric for wound healing, rheumatic disorders, gastrointestinal symptoms,
deworming, rhinitis and as a cosmetic. Studies in India have explored its anti-
inflammatory, cholekinetic and anti-oxidant potentials with the recent investigations
focusing on its preventive effect on precarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti
atherosclerotic effects in biological systems both under in vitro and in vivo conditions
in animals and humans. Both turmeric and curcumin were found to increase
detoxifying enzymes, prevent DNA damage, improve DNA repair, decrease mutations
and tumour formation and exhibit antioxidative potential in animals. Limited clinical
studies suggest that turmeric can significantly impact excretion of mutagens in urine
in smokers and regress precancerous palatal lesions. It reduces DNA adducts and
micronuclei in oral epithelial cells. It prevents formation of nitroso compounds both
in vivo and in vitro. It delays induced cataract in diabetes and reduces
hyperlipidemia in obese rats. Recently several molecular targets have been identified
for therapeutic / preventive effects of turmeric. Fenugreek seeds, a rich source of
soluble fiber used in Indian cuisine reduces blood glucose and lipids and can be used
as a food adjuvant in diabetes. Similarly garlic, onions, and ginger have been found
to modulate favourably the process of carcinogenesis.
.