Antifungal properties of Japanese cedar essential oil from waste wood chips made from used sake barrels

Abstract

Abstract. In this study, we prepared essential oil (EO) from waste wood chips made from used sake barrels (USBs) of Japanese cedar (i.e., EO-USB) by steam distillation. We found that EO-USB and three commercially purchased EOs derived from xylem tissue of Japanese woods, such as Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) and false arborvitae (Thujopsis dolabrata), suppressed fungal growth activity against Trichophyton rubrum, which is the cause of tinea disease. The magnitude of the suppressive effects of the EOs ranked as follows: T. dolabrata > USB = C. japonica > C. obtusa. These EOs also inhibited the activity of DNA polymerase in an extract from T. rubrum mycelia with the following ranking: T. dolabrata > USB = C. japonica > C. obtusa. In addition, 50 µg/ml of EO-USB showed antifungal properties, killing T. rubrum mycelia at 27-42˚C in 20 min. By gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis, the main sesquiterpenes in EO-USB were δ-cadinene (25.94%) and epi-cubenol (11.55%), and the composition of EO-USB was approximately the same as that of EO-C. japonica. Three prepared sesquiterpenes, δ-cadinene, epi-cubenol and β-eudesmol, inhibited the fungal growth and DNA polymerase activities of T. rubrum, and epi-cubenol showed the strongest inhibition among the compounds tested. These sesquiterpenes had no inhibitory effects on the activities of other DNA metabolic enzymes, such as DNA topoisomerase II, IMP dehydrogenase, polynucleotide kinase and deoxyribonuclease from T. rubrum. Taken together, these results suggest that EO-USB containing epi-cubenol may be useful for its anti-tinea disease properties, which are based on DNA polymerase inhibition.

The In Vitro Activity of Essential Oils against Helicobacter Pylori Growth and Urease Activity

“…However, there is published data about the anti-H. pylori activity of patchouli alcohol [29], which belongs to the group of tricyclic sesquiterpenoids, similarly for the major components present in cedarwood oil. It has been reported that its antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans [30] and antifungal properties are based on DNA polymerase inhibition [31]. In our study, cedarwood oil was one of the most potent EOs.…”

Biocatalyst collection and heterologous expression of sesquiterpene synthases from basidiomycetous fungi: Discovery of a novel sesquiterpene hydrocarbon

“…Thus, combining these data and earlier literature, we suggest that the majority of basidiomycetes possess sophisticated metabolic systems to produce cadinene‐type sesquiterpenoids. In addition to biological interest, using these STSs for the rational synthesis of valuable compounds has attracted great interest; for instance, δ‐cadinene, epicubenol and their derivatives show unique bioactivities (Ding et al, 2021; Liu et al, 2007; Takao et al, 2012).…”

Antimicrobial Activities of Three Commercial Essential Oils Derived from Plants Belonging to Family Pinaceae

“…These sesquiterpenes had no inhibitory effects on the activities of other DNA metabolic enzymes, such as DNA topoisomerase II, IMP dehydrogenase, polynucleotide kinase, and deoxyribonuclease from T. rubrum. These results suggest that EO-USB containing epi-cubenol may be useful for its anti-tinea disease properties, which are based on DNA polymerase inhibition (Takao et al, 2012).…”

“…Generally, the Cedrus oils contain high percentages of the himachalenes (Chaudhary et al, 2011). Takao et al (2012) have prepared essential oil (EO) from waste wood chips made from used sake barrels (USBs) of Japanese cedar (i.e., EO-USB) by steam distillation. They have found that EO-USB and three commercially purchased EOs derived from xylem tissue of Japanese woods, such as Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) and false arborvitae (Thujopsis dolabrata), suppressed fungal growth activity against Trichophyton rubrum, which is the cause of tinea disease.…”