Prospecting of High Altitude Aromatic Plants for Essential Oil Chemistry and Bio Activity

Abstract

Essential oils are complex mixture of biologically active substances used since a long time as flavouring agents and constituents of number of commercial products. Currently, their importance is more highlighted due to their increasing demand for food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Recent scientific literature revealed the antiproliferative, antimicrobial, antifungal and antioxidant potential of essential oils. In view of these multiple applications their characterization based on their chemical profiles, is of great importance. newlineIn the present study, various high altitude aromatic plant species were screened for their essential oil constituents. The hydro-distilled essential oils were characterized by various physico-chemical methods and were evaulvated for biological activities. GC, GC-MS and 13C NMR analysis of isolated oils and their constituents revealed mainly the presence of monoterpene hydrocarbons, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated monoterpenes and oxygenated sesquiterpenes. Diterpenes were also found in minor concentrations. The extractions of various essential oils were performed by using hydrodistillation method. Extracted essential oils were chromatographed for isolation/fractionation using silica gel column chromatography technique. Characterization of the isolated molecules was accomplished by using GC, GC-MS 1HNMR, 13C NMR and DEPT-135 techniques.These essential oils and their constituents (fractions) exhibited antioxidant, cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal and anthelminthic activities as measured by different in-vitro assays and experimental models. The potent results of biological activities in the current study were due to possible role of synergism. The variations in the chemical composition of most of the essential oils investigated by GC, GC-MS and HS-SPME techniques in the present study, with respect to plant material used was significant. newline