Search Results (16)

The traditional nutritional use of sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.) has been rediscovered and reestablished, making this halophyte plant a prominent ingredient in coastal cuisine and a subject of interest in various scientific disciplines, including pharmacy and medicine. The first objective of this study was to identify the volatile profiles of essential oils (EOs) and hydrolates derived from the leaves, flowers, and fruits of sea fennel using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. A total of 25 different volatiles were identified in the EOs and 63 were identified in the hydrolates. Limonene was the most abundant component in the EOs (74.85%, 74.30%, and 67.41%, respectively), while in the hydrolates, it was terpinen-4-ol in the leaves (27.8%) and the flowers (36.7%) and (Z)-carveol in the fruits (11.4%). The second objective was to investigate the biological activities of the samples. The antioxidant and choline inhibitory activities of hydrolates were generally low, with the flower hydrolate providing the inhibition of both enzymes and the leaf hydrolate with the highest antiradical activity. The cytotoxic activities of the EOs and hydrolates were also investigated. The human breast adenocarcinoma cell line MDA-MB-23 was the most sensitive against EOs from the flowers and fruits, reaching the IC₅₀ after 48 and 72 h, respectively. The leaf hydrolate exhibited cytotoxic activity after 72 h, while the flower hydrolate was effective after 48 h. The MCF-7 cell line was sensitive to the flower and fruit EOs, and the IC₅₀ was reached at all the tested periods. Overall, the results highlight sea fennel as a rich source of bioactive compounds that have significant potential for greater utilization in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. Full article

This study investigated the impact of varying sowing dates and concentrations of humic acid (HA) on the growth, yield, and essential oil profile of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) across two consecutive growing seasons (2020/2021 and 2021/2022). The experiment was carried out at Aswan University’s Agricultural Experimental Farm in Egypt, utilizing a split-plot design with three sowing dates (15th October, 1st November, and 15th November) along with four HA concentrations (0, 2.5, 3.75, and 5 kg ha⁻¹). The results revealed that early sowing on 15th October and enrichment with 5 kg ha⁻¹ of HA significantly enhanced plant height, stem diameter, branch number, umbels per plant, and fruit yield. The highest fruit yield (2684 kg ha⁻¹) and essential oil yield (27.3 L ha⁻¹) were obtained from plants sown on 15th October and treated with 5 kg ha⁻¹ HA. Moreover, the essential oil composition was notably affected, with significant increases in the concentration of anethole, estragole, and other critical compounds under the same treatment. Conversely, delayed sowing reduced both the yield and oil content. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing sowing dates and HA application rates to maximize fennel’s yield and essential oil quality, particularly in arid regions. The findings of this study offer practical guidance for optimizing fennel cultivation in arid regions by integrating early sowing dates and humic acid applications, which can significantly enhance yield and essential oil quality. These insights are particularly valuable for the medicinal and aromatic plant industries, supporting sustainable agriculture and improving the commercial viability of fennel production under climate-challenged conditions. Full article

Corrosion worldwide causes large losses of metal, which is why various ways are being sought to slow it down. The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of fennel fruit essential oil (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) and its main component anethole. The inhibitory effect of three different concentrations of the fennel essential oil and anethole (1.0 mL/L, 1.5 mL/L, and 2.5 mL/L) in a solution of 1 M HCl at 298 K for 6 h on a sheet of low-carbon steel was investigated. The inhibitory effect was established using gravimetric methods evaluating weight loss, corrosion rate, and inhibition efficiency, as well as electrochemical methods. In gravimetric studies, the inhibition effect of the inhibitors fennel essential oil and isolate anethole at a concentration of 2.0 mL/L was 70.85% and 45.86%, respectively. The anodic polarization curve data at 298 K demonstrate that the anethole and fennel essential oil adsorption on the metal surface creates a barrier that hinders hydrogen ions’ access and prevents them from being reduced on the steel surface’s cathode sites. Fennel essential oil acting as a mixed type-inhibitor can replace synthetic organic substances and could become an alternative to be used as environmental corrosion inhibitors. Full article

Sustainable ecological agriculture is achieved by regulating the benefits of trees. The application of leguminous trees as alley cropping protects and increases soil fertility, improves the quality of water by intercepting pesticides, changes the local climate, improves biodiversity, and thus improves productivity. In order to evaluate the impact of alley cropping upon the growth and productivity attributes of fennel, an experiment was carried out during two seasons. The experiment included eight treatments. Fennel seeds were cultivated between Sesbania alleys and treated with N and endophytic fungi according to the eight treatments. After harvesting the fennel, different parameters were determined and biochemical analyses were conducted. All of the alley cropping treatments showed remarkable superiority in all measures of fennel growth and productivity compared to the sole crop treatment. Among the different alley cropping treatments, applying Sesbania at 4 m spacing with N fertilizer and EF increased most of the studied parameters in terms of the least number of days from planting until harvesting of fennel, herb dry weight, number of umbels, fruit yield, essential oil, N, P, and K content, and pigments. In contrast, the highest plant height was recorded with fennel–Sesbania at 2 m spacing + N fertilizer + EF. Applying fennel–Sesbania at 6 m spacing + N fertilizer + EF treatment resulted in higher stem diameter and increased the number of main branches compared to the other treatments. Full article

Nectarines can be affected by many diseases, resulting in significant production losses. Natural products, such as essential oils (EOs), are promising alternatives to pesticides to control storage rots. This work aimed to test the efficacy of biofumigation with EOs in the control of nectarine postharvest diseases while also evaluating the effect on the quality parameters (firmness, total soluble solids, and titratable acidity) and on the fruit fungal microbiome. Basil, fennel, lemon, oregano, and thyme EOs were first tested in vitro at 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0% concentrations to evaluate their inhibition activity against Monilinia fructicola. Subsequently, an in vivo screening trial was performed by treating nectarines inoculated with M. fructicola, with the five EOs at 2.0% concentration by biofumigation, performed using slow-release diffusers placed inside the storage cabinets. Fennel, lemon, and basil EOs were the most effective after storage and were selected to be tested in efficacy trials using naturally infected nectarines. After 28 days of storage, all treatments showed a significant rot reduction compared to the untreated control. Additionally, no evident phytotoxic effects were observed on the treated fruits. EO vapors did not affect the overall quality of the fruits but showed a positive effect in reducing firmness loss. Metabarcoding analysis showed a significant impact of tissue, treatment, and sampling time on the fruit microbiome composition. Treatments were able to reduce the abundance of Monilinia spp., but basil EO favored a significant increase in Penicillium spp. Moreover, the abundance of other fungal genera was found to be modified. Full article

Coriandrum sativum L. and Foeniculum vulgare Mill. are two aromatic and medicinal Apiaceae species commonly grown in Portugal, whose essential oils (EOs) are used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. The present study evaluated EOs isolated from the fruits and vegetative aerial parts (VAPs) of 11 samples of Coriandrum sativum L. and from the fruits of 19 samples of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. The plant material was grown in experimental fields, after collection from several regions of mainland Portugal. The EOs were isolated by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The coriander EOs analysis evidenced two main clusters, with the first containing the fruits’ EOs dominated by linalool (60–73%), γ-terpinene, and α-pinene and the second with the VAPs’ EOs, which showed 2-trans-decenal (37–63%) and n-decanal (13–30%) as the main compounds. The fennel EOs analysis revealed two well correlated clusters, the first dominated by estragole (34–76%) and fenchone (16–30%) and the other dominated by trans-anethole (37–56%) and fenchone (14–34%). The present data suggest coriander EOs’ chemical descriptors as linalool for the fruits’ EOs and 2-trans-decenal with n-decanal for the VAPs’ EOs. For the fennel fruit EOs, the putative descriptors were trans-anethole and estragole, with variable fenchone content. The gathered data reinforce the relevance of clarifying variability of these species’ EOs, particularly when considering aromatic and medicinal plants with such a wide range of applications. Full article

Fennel fruits (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) represent one of the plant-based natural spices. This study aims to improve the fruit yield and essential oil (EO) quality by reducing the undesirable component, estragole, under different fertilizer treatments. The fertilizers included chemical nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), and also the organic additive, rabbit manure (RM). For bio-fertilization, plants were inoculated with a mixture of N-fixing bacteria, and P- and K-solubilizing bacteria with/without vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The results showed that fruit and EO yield parameters, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and DPPH scavenging activity of fruit extracts were enhanced by fertilizer treatments in both growing seasons. NPK at 150% of the recommended dose (NPK150) and RM at 60 m³/fed (RM60) recorded the highest values of plant height, umbel number/plant, 100-fruit weight, fruit yield, chlorophyll, carbohydrates, N and P content, EO content, and yield. TPC and TFC were enhanced by using biological fertilizers. DPPH scavenging activity was higher in organically and biologically fertilized fennel. The GC-MS analyses of EO revealed higher contents of the desirable trans-anethole in the organically and chemically fertilized fennel. However, the highest proportion of estragole, the undesirable compound, was recorded for NPK150 and unfertilized plants. On the contrary, increases in the EO content and yield of fennel fruits were achieved by RM along with a reduction in estragole, enhancement in trans-anethole, and increments in other favorable compounds such as fenchone and limonene. In addition, the inhibition of estragole formation was recorded with bio-fertilizers, which also increased the trans-anethole content. Furthermore, the trans-anethole/estragole ratio was significantly higher with the application of organic and bio-fertilization. Hence, organic and bio-fertilizer resources can produce high-quality fennel fruit and EO. The reduction in the use of chemical fertilizers can help to reduce environmental pollution. Full article

The study was conducted to determine fennel essential oil (FEO) yield, composition, and antioxidant activity during four different maturation stages of umbels with seeds (1st stage: immature-pasty; 2nd stage: premature-waxy; 3rd stage: mature-fully ripe; and 4th stage: seeds only), and leaves of wild fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. subsp. vulgare) from the Montenegro coast. The maximum oil yield was found in premature umbels at the waxy stage (4.76 mL/100 g p.m.) and in fully ripe umbels in the early fruiting stage (5.16 mL/100 g p.m.). Fully ripe seeds contained the lowest FEO (mL/100 g p.m.). The minimum FEO content was found in leaves (0.67%). (E)-anethole (64%), α-phellandrene (11.0%), and fenchone (4.8%) were found to be the main components of the essential oil from immature fennel umbels. (E)-anethole (72.3%), fenchone (9.6%) and methyl chavicol (9.5%) were found to be the main components of the essential oil from premature fennel umbels. (E)-anethole (71.6%), fenchone (10.7%) and methyl chavicol (10.3%) were found to be the main components of the essential oil from mature fully ripe fennel umbels. Fennel seeds were rich in (E)-anethole (75.5%) and fenchone (13.7%). FEO from fennel leaves contained (E)-anethole (32.5%), α-phellandrene (18.8%), p-cymene (17.3%), and β-phellandrene (10.3%) as the main compounds. The antioxidant activity of FEO decreases from leaves (12.37 mg/mL) to seeds (37.20 mg/mL). The degree of DPPH radical neutralization increased with the incubation time. Fennel umbels can be harvested before the fully ripe stage, i.e., at the waxy stage, which considerably reduces seed shedding and losses and increases the essential oil yield. Full article

Biofumigation with slow-release diffusers of essential oils (EOs) of basil, oregano, savoury, thyme, lemon, and fennel was assessed for the control of blue mould of apples, caused by Penicillium expansum. In vitro, the ability of the six EOs to inhibit the mycelial growth was evaluated at concentrations of 1.0, 0.5, and 0.1%. EOs of thyme, savoury, and oregano, at all three concentrations, and basil, at 1.0 and 0.5%, were effective in inhibiting the mycelial growth of P. expansum. In vivo, disease incidence and severity were evaluated on ‘Opal’ apples artificially inoculated with the pathogen and treated at concentrations of 1.0% and 0.5% of EOs. The highest efficacy in reducing blue mould was observed with EOs of lemon and oregano at 1.0% after 60 days of storage at 1 ± 1 °C (incidence of rot, 3 and 1%, respectively) and after a further 14 days of shelf-life at 15 ± 1 °C (15 and 17%). Firmness, titratable acidity, and total soluble solids were evaluated at harvest, after cold storage, and after shelf-life. Throughout the storage period, no evident phytotoxic effects were observed. The EOs used were characterised through GC-MS to analyse their compositions. Moreover, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in the cabinets were characterised during storage using the SPME-GC-MS technique. The antifungal effects of EOs were confirmed both in vitro and in vivo and the possible mechanisms of action were hypothesised. High concentrations of antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds in the EOs explain the efficacy of biofumigation in postharvest disease control. These findings provide new insights for the development of sustainable strategies for the management of postharvest diseases and the reduction of fruit losses during storage. Full article

The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) approach is established for the simultaneous determination of fenchone (FCO) and trans-anethole (TOH) in the essential oils and methanolic extracts of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) fruits obtained from India (IND), Pakistan (PAK), and Saudi Arabia (SA). The simultaneous determination of FCO and TOH was performed via Agilent 190914S HP–5MS fused-silica capillary column (30 m × 250 µm ID, 0.25 µm film thickness). The proposed GC-MS approach was linear in the range of 0.10–50 µg/g for FCO and TOH. FCO’s detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) limits were calculated to be 0.04 and 0.12 µg/g, respectively. The LOD and LOQ values for TOH, on the other hand, were calculated to be 0.05 and 0.15 µg/g, respectively. In addition, the proposed GC-MS approach was accurate and precise for the simultaneous determination of FCO and TOH. The amount of FCO in essential oils of F. vulgare was computed as 0.021, 0.034, and 0.029 mg/g in the samples obtained from IND, PAK, and SA, respectively. The amount of TOH in the essential oils of F. vulgare was computed as 7.40, 14.8, and 10.2 mg/g in the samples obtained from IND, PAK, and SA, respectively. However, the amount of FCO in the methanolic extract of F. vulgare was estimated as 0.031, 0.021, and 0.057 mg/g in the samples obtained from IND, PAK, and SA, respectively. On the other hand, the amount of TOH in the methanolic extract of F. vulgare was estimated as 0.440, 0.498, and 1.74 mg/g in the samples obtained from IND, PAK, and SA, respectively. These findings suggested that the proposed GC-MS approach might be used to simultaneously determine the FCO and TOH in a variety of essential oils and plant extracts. Full article

The control strategies for the olive crop key pest, Bactrocera oleae, involve synthetic chemical insecticides and few eco-sustainable alternatives, such as ovideterrents and lures. In the last few decades, the interest concerning the formulation of botanical based biopesticides increased, but little research investigated the suitability of these approaches for B. oleae control. This research aimed to investigate the residual contact toxicity and the oviposition deterrence of three essential oil (EO)-based nano-emulsions (Pimpinella anisum, Foeniculum vulgare, Mentha × piperita) against B. oleae adult flies. All the nano-emulsions possessed optimal physical characteristics, with droplets dimensions ranging from 115 to 152 nm and low PDI values (<0.2), even after 1 year of storage. Although no notable residual contact toxicity was noted, all the tested formulations reduced the number of oviposition puncture in no-choice tests (percent repellence: mint < fennel < anise). In choice trials, olives treated with fennel and anise EO-formulations at the highest concentration (7.5%, 75 g of EO/L) were less attractive respect to control fruits and a significant reduction of olive punctures was recorded. Nano-biopesticides are promising eco-friendly tools to integrate B. oleae pest management programs and to reduce the use of harmful conventional active ingredients. Full article

Previous studies relating to prolonged and fractionated distillation procedures highlighted essential oils’ (EOs) chemical composition to be significantly dependent on the extraction duration and harvesting time. As a continuation, a hydrodistillation procedure was applied to ripe fruit material of fennel, Foeniculum vulgare Miller (Apiaceae), collected from three localities in Montenegro (Podgorica, Nikšić, and Kotor) to furnish a total of 12 EOs. Liquid and vapor phases of the samples were analyzed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry and Headspace-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry techniques, and 18 compounds have been identified. Although both quantitative and qualitative differences between the samples were notable, the phenylpropanoids anethole (ANE) and estragole and the monoterpenoids α-terpineol (TER) and fenchone (FEN) could be singled out as the most abundant constituents. The EOs from Podgorica belong to the most common ANE-rich chemotype, while the predominance of the monoterpenoid fraction is characteristic of the samples from Nikšić and Kotor. The latter is particularly rich in TER (up to 56.5%), with significant amounts of FEN and ANE. This chemical profile could represent a new chemotype of fennel EO. Vapor phases contained mainly monoterpenoids, with increased amounts of FEN and TER, while the number of phenylpropanoids was significantly decreased. Full article

Every year the world loses about 50% of fruits and vegetables post-harvest and in the supply chain. The use of biodegradable coatings and films with antioxidant properties has been considered an excellent alternative to extend the shelf life of food. Therefore, the objective of this work was to develop a coating based on yam (Dioscorea rotundata L.) starch-containing lime, fennel, and lavender essential oils to extend the shelf life of strawberries (Fragaria vesca l.). The tensile properties, barrier properties (water vapour permeability (WVP) and oxygen permeability (OP)), moisture content, water-solubility, absorption capacity, water contact angle, optical properties, the antioxidant activity of the resultant starch-based coatings were evaluated. After that, the active properties of the coatings were assessed on strawberries inoculated with Aspergillus niger during 14 days of storage at 25 °C. The results showed that the incorporation of essential oils improved the elongation and WVP and provided antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activity in the films. In particular, the essential oil of lime showed higher antioxidant activity. This fact caused the unwanted modification of other properties, such as the decrease in tensile strength, elastic modulus and increase in OP. The present study revealed the potential use of lime, fennel, and lavender essential oils incorporated into a polymeric yam starch matrix to produce biodegradable active films (antioxidant and antimicrobial). Obtained films showed to be a viable alternative to increase the shelf life of strawberries and protect them against Aspergillus niger. Full article

In the field of food preservation, encapsulated Essential Oils (EOs) could be the best non-toxic and eco-friendly tool for food preservative applications substituting the chemicals ones that have several disadvantages for the environment and health. Thirteen commercial EOs from plants, fruits, and vegetables were characterized by GC-MS. The antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH and ABTS techniques. Antimicrobial activity was assessed by agar well-diffusion method and the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) by agar dilution method against six bacteria, Candida albicans, and Botrytis cinerea. All the EOs tested have demonstrated antioxidant activity in the range of IC₅₀ 0.01–105.32 mg/mL. Between them, cinnamon EOs were the best, followed by oregano and thyme EOs. Fennel EO showed the lowest radical scavenging. MIC values ranged from 0.14 to 9 mg/mL. C. cassia, thyme, and oregano EOs were the most effective against the bacterial species tested, and the yeast C. albicans. On the contrary, citric fruit EOs showed low or no inhibition against most bacterial strains. The percentages of inhibition of mycelia growth of B. cinerea ranged from 3.4 to 98.5%. Thyme, oregano, mint, and fennel EOs showed the highest inhibition. Full article

Fennel and dill are widely used as food additives owing to their various biological activities, such as antioxidants, antimicrobials, food-preservatives, and seasoning capacities. Herein, the nutritional composition and essential oil (EO) chemical profiles of fruits, umbels, stalks, and roots from one dill and two fennel cultivars were evaluated. The fruits had the highest content of crude protein (≥15%), crude fat (≥8%), and phosphorus (≥0.5%), and exhibited the highest total energy (≥20 MJ/kg) and EO yield (≥2%). Moreover, estragole (86.56% in Fdf), anethole (71.17% in Fhf), fenchone (16.74% in Fhf), limonene (50.19% in Agf), and carvone (42.41% in Agf) were the main components of the EOs generated from the fruits. The chemical profiles of EOs in the roots were significantly different from those of the aerial parts of the fennel and dill; thus, the roots and aerial parts could be distinguished based on myristicin (Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) = 1.90399) and apiol (VIP = 1.85922). The EO components of the aerial parts varied remarkably, and the chemical markers for differentiating these three cultivars were anethole (VIP = 1.36571), estragole (VIP = 1.30292), and carvone (VIP = 1.11947). Overall, our results provide a noteworthy chemical basis for further development of fennel and dill, especially as food additives. Full article