The essential oil of Chrysanthemum boreale Makino was analyzed by means of GC and GC-MS. Eighty-seven constituents were identified, representing 94.13 % of the total oil and the major components were camphor, alpha-thujone, cis-chrysanthenol, 1,8-cineole, alpha-pinene, and beta-caryophyllene. Furthermore, the essential oil exhibited antibacterial activity (MIC, more than 800 microg/mL versus 0.125 microg/mL for ampicillin) after it was tested against 6 Gram(+) bacteria and 8 Gram(-) bacteria.

BackgroundMinor saponins or human intestinal bacterial metabolites, such as ginsenosides Rg3, F2, Rh2, and compound K, are more pharmacologically active than major saponins, such as ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, and Rc. In this work, enzymatic hydrolysis of ginsenoside Rb1 was studied using enzyme preparations from cultured mycelia of mushrooms.MethodsMycelia of Armillaria mellea, Ganoderma lucidum, Phellinus linteus, Elfvingia applanata, and Pleurotus ostreatus were cultivated in liquid media at 25°C for 2 wk. Enzyme preparations from cultured mycelia of five mushrooms were obtained by mycelia separation from cultured broth, enzyme extraction, ammonium sulfate (30–80%) precipitation, dialysis, and freeze drying, respectively. The enzyme preparations were used for enzymatic hydrolysis of ginsenoside Rb1.ResultsAmong the mushrooms used in this study, the enzyme preparation from cultured mycelia of A. mellea (AMMEP) was found to convert ginsenoside Rb1 into compound K with a high yield, while those from G. lucidum, P. linteus, E. applanata, and P. ostreatus produced remarkable amounts of ginsenoside Rd from ginsenoside Rb1. The enzymatic hydrolysis pathway of ginsenoside Rb1 by AMMEP was Rb1 → Rd → F2 → compound K. The optimum reaction conditions for compound K formation from ginsenoside Rb1 were as follows: reaction time 72–96 h, pH 4.0–4.5, and temperature 45–55°C.ConclusionAMMEP can be used to produce the human intestinal bacterial metabolite, compound K, from ginsenoside Rb1 with a high yield and without food safety issues.

Curcuma longa (C. longa) has been used as a spice in foods and as an antimicrobial in Oriental medicine. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of an essential oil isolated from C. longa on the cariogenic properties of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), which is an important bacterium in dental plaque and dental caries formation. First, the inhibitory effects of C. longa essential oil on the growth and acid production of S. mutans were tested. Next, the effect of C. longa essential oil on adhesion to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite beads (S-HAs) was investigated. C. longa essential oil inhibited the growth and acid production of S. mutans at concentrations from 0.5 to 4 mg/mL. The essential oil also exhibited significant inhibition of S. mutans adherence to S-HAs at concentrations higher than 0.5 mg/mL. S. mutans biofilm formation was determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and safranin staining. The essential oil of C. longa inhibited the formation of S. mutans biofilms at concentrations higher than 0.5 mg/mL. The components of C. longa essential oil were then analyzed by GC and GC-MS, and the major components were α-turmerone (35.59%), germacrone (19.02%), α-zingiberene (8.74%), αr-turmerone (6.31%), trans-β-elemenone (5.65%), curlone (5.45%), and β-sesquiphellandrene (4.73%). These results suggest that C. longa may inhibit the cariogenic properties of S. mutans.

The chemical components of the essential oil obtained from Artemisia lavandulaefolia DC. were analyzed by GC-MS. Ninety-nine compounds accounting for 94.9 % of the essential oil were identified. The major compounds in the essential oil were beta-caryophyllene (16.1 %), cis-chrysanthenol (7.0 %), 1,8-cineole (5.6 %), borneol (5.3 %), trans-beta-farnesene (5.1 %), camphor (4.9 %), yomogi alcohol (4.5 %), alpha-terpineol (3.9 %), and alpha-humulene oxide (3.3 %). The essential oil and some of its major compounds were tested for antimicrobial activity against 15 different genera of oral bacteria. The essential oil of A. lavandulaefolia exhibited considerable inhibitory effects against all obligate anaerobic bacteria (MIC values, 0.025 to 0.05 mg/mL; MBC values, 0.025 to 0.1 mg/mL) tested, while its major compounds demonstrated different degrees of growth inhibition.

BackgroundThe biological activities of ginseng saponins (ginsenosides) are associated with type, number, and position of sugar moieties linked to aglycone skeletons. Deglycosylated minor ginsenosides are known to be more biologically active than major ginsenosides. Accordingly, the deglycosylation of major ginsenosides can provide the multibioactive effects of ginsenosides. The purpose of this study was to transform ginsenoside Rb2, one of the protopanaxadiol-type major ginsenosides, into minor ginsenosides using β-glycosidase (BG-1) purified from Armillaria mellea mycelium.MethodsGinsenoside Rb2 was hydrolyzed by using BG-1; the hydrolytic properties of Rb2 by BG-1 were also characterized. In addition, the influence of reaction conditions such as reaction time, pH, and temperature, and transformation pathways of Rb2, Rd, F2, compound O (C-O), and C-Y by treatment with BG-1 were investigated.ResultsBG-1 first hydrolyzes 3-O-outer β-d-glucoside of Rb2, then 3-O-β-d-glucoside of C-O into C-Y. C-Y was gradually converted into C-K with a prolonged reaction time, but the pathway of Rb2 → Rd → F2 → C-K was not observed. The optimum reaction conditions for C-Y and C-K formation from Rb2 by BG-1 were pH 4.0–4.5, temperature 45–60°C, and reaction time 72–96 h.Conclusionβ-Glycosidase purified from A. mellea mycelium can be efficiently used to transform Rb2 into C-Y and C-K. To our best knowledge, this is the first result of transformation from Rb2 into C-Y and C-K by basidiomycete mushroom enzyme.