Search Results (6)

Lavandula stoechas subsp. luisieri (Rozeira) Rozeira is an aromatic shrub endemic to the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula. It is distinguished by being the only species of lavender that contains necrodol derivatives in its essential oil. This study aims to evaluate the diversity of the chemical composition of L. stoechas subsp. luisieri essential oil and how it differs from essential oils of other lavender species with which it shares its habitat and with which it can hybridize. The variability in the chemical composition of L. stoechas subsp. luisieri essential oil has been evaluated across 66 populations distributed among 14 areas in southwestern Iberian Peninsula. The main compounds present in the essential oil of L. stoechas subsp. luisieri are trans-α-necrodyl acetate (20.68 ± 4.17%), 1,8-cineole (7.79 ± 7.14%) and trans-α-necrodol (8.66 ± 2.18%). Other compounds may occasionally be present in percentages greater than 6.00%, such as α-cadinol, linalool, lavandulyl acetate, fenchone and camphor. Two essential oil types have been identified in the essential oil of L. stoechas subsp. luisieri: (1) trans-α-necrodyl acetate-1,8-cineole, and (2) trans-α-necrodyl acetate, with little or no presence of 1,8-cineole. Furthermore, the absence or very low percentage of camphor (0.16–7.61%) and fenchone (0.00–7.39%) has been confirmed as a unique characteristic of this essential oil. The obtained results provide clear differentiation of the essential oil of L. stoechas subsp. luisieri, thus enabling more accurate studies to be carried out on its bioactive properties, which are of great interest to industry. Full article

Six aromatic plants (Lavandula pedunculata subsp. sampaioana, Lavandula stoechas subsp. luisieri, Mentha × piperita, Origanum vulgare subsp. virens, Thymus mastichina, and Thymus zygis subsp. sylvestris) were analyzed to evaluate their essential oil (EO) yield, chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and antifungal capacity against two mold species, green mold (Penicillium digitatum) and blue mold (Penicillium italicum). The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the ABTS and DPPH methods, and the antifungal activity was determined using the disk diffusion method. The results of the antioxidant activity tests showed that the essential oil of Th. zygis subsp. sylvestris has the highest value for the ABTS method (161.70 ± 0.15 mM TROLOX eq. and 864.20 ± 0.81 g TROLOX eq/g EO) and the L. stoechas subsp. luisieri essential oil in the DPPH method (33.91 ± 1.21 mM TROLOX eq. and 184.99 ± 6.58 g TROLOX eq/g EO). Furthermore, the essential oils with lower antioxidant activity were L. pedunculata subsp. sampaioana for the ABTS method (3.84 ± 0.26 mM TROLOX eq. and 20.79 ± 1.41 g TROLOX eq/g EO) and Th. mastichina for DPPH method (0.96 ± 0.03 mM TROLOX eq. and 5.31 ± 0.16 g TROLOX eq/g EO). Th. zygis subsp. sylvestris exhibited the strongest antifungal activity, with medium inhibition halo values of 60.50 ± 5.77 mm and 54.33 ± 2.93 mm for P. digitatum and P. italicum, respectively. Full article

Lavandula stoechas subsp. luisieri and Pterospartum tridentatum are two valuable aromatic and medicinal plants. Their biometric and morphological parameters, such as the number of new shoots, length of the longest shoot, multiplication rate, and fresh weight, were evaluated using the multiplication MS medium protocol. The rooting protocols involved immersing the explants in IBA (1 g L⁻¹) and a commercial IBA (3.3 g L⁻¹) preparation (Clonex^®). Slow-growth conservation assays were carried out using two different sucrose concentrations (15 g L⁻¹ and 30 g L⁻¹), and a control, with the cultures kept at 4 °C for 12 months. The multiplication rate for L. stoechas subsp. luisieri was 6.8, and that of P. tridentatum was 13.3, achieved using the MS medium supplemented with 0.2 mg L⁻¹ BAP, 1 mg L⁻¹ BAP, and 0.5 mg L⁻¹ IBA. The application of Clonex^® showed the best ex vitro rooting results in L. stoechas subsp. luisieri (77%) and P. tridentatum (90%). In the slow-growth conservation assays, at 4 °C, in darkness for 12 months, an excellent survival rate was achieved in L. stoechas subsp. luisieri (>80%) and P. tridentatum (>90%), even at the reduced sucrose concentration. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of in vitro multiplication and ex vitro rooting protocols for two valuable aromatic and medicinal plants. These findings are significant for the ex situ conservation of these species, as they provide effective long-term preservation and utilization strategies. Full article

Chemical investigations of L. stoechas subsp. luisieri and L. pedunculata essential oils were analyzed by GC-MS, and the antimicrobial activity was performed against bacteria and fungi isolated from food sources. The cytotoxicity of the essential oil was performed in NHDF cells using the MTT method. According to the results, the main compounds of L. stoechas subsp. luisieri essential oil were trans-α-necrodyl acetate (40.2%), lavandulyl acetate (11%), and trans-α-necrodol (10.4%), while fenchone (50.5%) and camphor (30.0%) in L. pedunculata essential oil. The antifungal activity of essential oils was confirmed with MIC values ranging from 1.2 to 18.7 µL/mL; for bacteria, it ranged from 4.7 to 149.3 µL/mL. Both the Lavandula species tested showed low or equal MIC and MBC/MFC values for L. stoechas subsp. luisieri essential oil, revealing greater efficacy in antimicrobial activity. The L. stoechas subsp. luisieri essential oil revealed cytotoxic effects (30 ± 2% of cell viability) in NHDF cells at all concentrations tested. Full article

Globally, climate change and wildfires are disrupting natural ecosystems, thus setting several endemic species at risk. The genus Lavandula is widely present in the Mediterranean region and its species, namely, those included in the section Stoechas, are valuable resources of active compounds with several biological assets. Since ancient times lavenders have been used in traditional medicine and for domestic purposes. These species are melliferous, decorative, and essential oil-producing plants with a high economic interest in the pharmaceutical, flavor, fragrance, and food industries. The essential oils of Lavandula section Stoechas are characterized by high amounts of 1,8-cineole, camphor, fenchone, and specifically for L. stoechas subsp. luisieri one of the major compounds is trans-α-necrodyl acetate. On the other hand, the diversity of non-volatile components like phenolic compounds, such as phenolic acids and flavonoids, make these species an important source of phytochemicals with pharmacological interest. Rosmarinic, caffeic, and salvianolic B acids are the major phenolic acids, and luteolin and eriodictyol-O-glucuronide are the main reported flavonoids. However, the concentration of these secondary metabolites is strongly affected by the plant’s phenological phase and varies in Lavandula sp. from different areas of origin. Indeed, lavender extracts have shown promising antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties as well as several other beneficial actions with potential for commercial applications. Despite several studies on the bioactive potential of lavenders from the section Stoechas, a systematized and updated review of their chemical profile is lacking. Therefore, we carried out the present review that gathers relevant information on the different types of secondary metabolites found in these species as well as their bioactive potential. Full article

Lavandula stoechas subsp. luisieri is a Spanish subspecies from the Lamiaceae family. Its essential oil has been traditionally used for several medical applications though little is known about other extracts. Similar to many other studies aiming to obtain traditional plant extracts to be used in different applications, this work evaluated the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Lavandula luisieri extracts and the correlation with their composition. Traditional hydrodistillation and ethanolic maceration were used to obtain the essential oil and the maceration extract, respectively. A green and sustainable methodology was applied to the maceration extract that was under a Supercritical Antisolvent Fractionation process to obtain a fine solid enriched in rosmarinic acid and the terpenes oleanolic and ursolic acids. Antimicrobial activities of all extracts and pure identified compounds (rosmarinic and ursolic acids) were evaluated against five bacterial strains; Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli and were compared with the pure compounds identified, rosmarinic and ursolic acids. All strains were sensitive against L. luisieri essential oil. The solid product obtained from the supercritical process was concentrated in the identified actives compared to the maceration extract, which resulted in higher antimicrobial and DPPH scavenging activities. The supercritical sustainable process provided L. luisieri compounds, with retention of their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, in a powder exemptof organic solvents with potential application in the clinical, food or cosmetic fields. Full article