Essential Oil Composition and Bioactivity of Apiaceae Plants
Summary
Essential oils from the Apiaceae family exhibit a rich chemical diversity, predominantly monoterpenes (e.g. α-pinene, limonene), sesquiterpenes (e.g. β-caryophyllene, dillapiole), and phenylpropanoids (e.g. myristicin), alongside coumarins and sulfur-containing compounds. Extraction and profiling by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and related techniques reveal species- and tissue-specific volatile fingerprints that correlate with geographic origin and developmental stage. These oils display multifaceted bioactivities: strong antimicrobial and antifungal potency against human and plant pathogens; antioxidant capacity via radical-scavenging assays; anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects through modulation of neutrophil Ca2+ flux and chemotaxis; and cytotoxic or antiproliferative actions against cancer cell lines. The interplay between chief constituents—such as pulegone, α-thujone, and eremophilene—and minor components often underlies synergistic effects. Such properties underpin traditional uses of Apiaceae plants in culinary, medicinal and agricultural contexts and drive contemporary interest for novel therapeutics, food preservatives and biopesticides.
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Essential Oil Composition and Bioactivity of Apiaceae Plants publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in essential oil composition and bioactivity of apiaceae plants across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Monoterpene: A volatile C10 hydrocarbon or oxygenated derivative common in essential oils.
Sesquiterpene: A C15 terpenoid often contributing to the aroma and bioactivity of essential oils.
Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS): An analytical technique combining chromatographic separation with mass detection to identify volatile compounds.
Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME): A solvent-free sampling method for volatile compound extraction prior to GC-MS analysis.
EC50: The concentration of a compound producing 50% of its maximal effect.
Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): The lowest concentration of an antimicrobial agent that prevents visible growth of a microorganism.
References
- Quality evaluation of four Ferula plants and identification of their key volatiles based on non-targeted metabolomics. Frontiers in Plant Science (2024).
- Composition and Biological Activity of the Essential Oils from Wild Horsemint, Yarrow, and Yampah from Subalpine Meadows in Southwestern Montana: Immunomodulatory Activity of Dillapiole. Plants (2023).
- Discrimination of the Essential Oils Obtained from Four Apiaceae Species Using Multivariate Analysis Based on the Chemical Compositions and Their Biological Activity. Plants (2021).
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