Antimycotoxigenic characteristics of Rosmarinus officinalis and Trachyspermum copticum L. essential oils

Hepatoprotective effect of Rosmarinus officinalis and rosmarinic acid on acetaminophen-induced liver damage

“…The Mediterranean plant Rosmarinus officinalis (L.) (Labiatae), known as Rosemary, grows in many parts of the world and helps treat asthma, eczema, and rheumatism (Fahim et al, 1999). Rosemary extracts possess many biological activities, including antimicrobial (Bernardes et al 2010, Rasooli et al, 2008, antimutagenic (Furtado et al, 2008), anti-hyperglycemic (Al-Hader et al, 1994, anti-ulcerogenic (Dias et al, 2000), and antioxidant (Ozcan, 2003) actions. The most important antioxidant constituents of this plant are carnosic acid, carnosol, caffeic acid, and its derivative rosmarinic acid (RA), which exhibit antioxidant activity (Frankel et al, 1996).…”

Heart and kidney oxidative stress status in septic rats treated with caraway extracts

“…In this connection, our data indicate that caraway essential oils but not hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from caraway seeds possessed antimicrobial activity against some Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria (Fatemi et al, in press; data not shown). Other studies also implied the severe antimicrobial activity of essential oils (Rasooli et al, 2006(Rasooli et al, , 2008Costa et al, 2008).…”

Phytoinhibition of Growth and Aflatoxin Biosynthesis in Toxigenic Fungi

“…Some studies have concluded that whole essential oils have a greater antibacterial activity than the major components mixed, which suggests that the minor components are critical to the activity and may have a synergistic effect or potentiating influence. Among the thousands of naturally occurring constituents so far identified in plants and exhibiting a long history of safe use, there are none that pose, or reasonably might be expected to pose a significant risk to human health at current low levels of intake when used as flavoring substances [Rasooli et al, 2007]. Numerous diverse compounds and extracts containing effects inhibitory to aflatoxin biosynthesis have been reported.…”

“…The inhibitory effects of the components of essential oil on growth rate of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus has also been reported. Some essential oils and other extracts (vitamins, riboflavin, carotenoids, betacarotene, alfa-carotene, lycopene, ascorbic acid, curcumin, several flavonoids, phenolic compouds and synthetic phenolic compounds) of plants could potentially provide protection against aflatoxins especially aflatoxin B1 [Rasooli et al 2004;Rasooli and Owlia, 2005;Rasooli et al, 2008;. Phenolic compounds such as acetocyringone, syringaldehyde and sinapinic acid not only inhibited aflatoxin B1 biosynthesis, but also reduced production of intermediate metabolites namely, norsolinic acid.…”

“…Many natural compounds found in dietary plants, such as extracts of herbs and fruit extracts, possess antimicrobial activities against Aspergillus parasiticus [Soliman and Badeaa, 2002;Rasooli & Owlia, 2005]. Also spices and herbs, such as cloves, anise and star anise seeds, basil, cinnamon, marigold and spearmint [Soliman and Badeaa, 2002], garlic and onion, thyme [Rasooli & Owlia, 2005;Rasooli et al, 2006a], cassia and sweet basil [Atanda et al, 2007] have been reported to inhibit toxigenic and foodborne moulds [Rasooli et al, 2007]. Alderman and Marth (1976), who tested the antimicrobial activity of citrus oils and D-limonene-the major constituent of citrus oils against an aflatoxin-producing strain of Aspergillus parasiticus, found that citrus oils at a concentration of 3000-3500 ppm, suppressed mold growth and aflatoxin production.…”