Chemical composition of essential oil from the seeds ofNigella arvensis L. and assessment of its actimicrobial activity

Abstract

The essential oil from Nigella arvensis L. was obtained by hydrodistillation, yielding 0.42% of oil on dry weight basis. The GC and GC-MS analyses showed the presence of 69 components, predominantly monoterpenes. The major constituents were carvacrol methyl ether (26.4%), β β β β β-pinene (21.4%), n-undecane (13.2%), and α α α α α-pinene (5.7%). The oil did not exhibit antimicrobial activity when tested by microdilution method.

Seed macro and micro morphology of the selected Nigella (Ranunculaceae) taxa from Turkey and their systematic significance

“…A diverse traditional usage on a great geography stimulate researchers to work on Nigella in all aspects such as composition of seed oils (Havlik et al 2006), antibacterial (Landa et al 2006), antifungal (Landa et al 2006), antiinflammatorial (Landa et al 2007), anticancer (Gali-Muhtasib et al 2006), antitumor (Kumara & Huat 2001), cytotoxic (Thabrew et al 2005), antiulcer (Arslan et al 2005), analgesic (Al-Ghamdi 2001), antihypertensive (Zaoui et al 2000), anti-diabetic (ElDakhakhny et al 2002), anticestode and antinematode (Akhtar & Riffat 1991), antioxidative (Kökdil et al 2006b), immunomodulator (Nazrul Islam et al 2004) and respiratory stimulation (El Tahir et al 1993) features of Nigella species were studied.…”

Effect of some mould inhibitors and herbal plants on mycotoxins production byAspergillus flavusandFusarium verticilloidesin vitro and in stored corn grains

“…This was in agreement with those results obtained by Bahman et al (2003). Havlik et al (2006) recorded exclusively higher value (26.4%); however, this value represents carvacrol methyl ester content, but not the pure carvacrol content.…”

Essential Oils in the Ranunculaceae Family: Chemical Composition of Hydrodistilled Oils from Consolida regalis, Delphinium elatum, Nigella hispanica, and N. nigellastrum Seeds

“…When comparing the analytical data from this study with previously published works on the genus Nigella, it is essential to consider differences in the extraction processes used to obtain the oils, which may significantly influence their chemical composition as previously described for N. damascena [14], N. orientalis [16], and N. sativa [8] [25]. In this view, the chemical profile of the N. hispanica oil, consisting mainly of fatty acids, greatly differs from those oils that have been previously isolated under similar extraction conditions from other species of the genus, that contain mainly mono-or sesquiterpenes [12] [13] [15] [17]. This fact indicates a unique chemotaxonomical position of N. hispanica within the genus Nigella.…”

“…Despite this fact, the family Ranunculaceae is still referred to, in the taxonomical literature, as a taxon not containing EOs [6]. Subsequently, works confirming EOs in seeds of N. sativa [7 -12] and other species of the Nigella genus such as N. damascena [11] [13] [14], N. orientalis [15] [16], and N. arvensis [17] have appeared in literature. In addition, the most recent articles describe occurrences of EOs in other plant parts (aerial parts, rhizomes, and flowers) of species belonging to different genera such as Aquilegia pancicii [18], Cimicifuga simplex [19], Delphinium formosum [20], Ranunculus arvensis, and R. constantinopolitanus [21].…”

“…This fact indicates a unique chemotaxonomical position of N. hispanica within the genus Nigella. In the case of the volatile oils from N. arvensis and N. sativa, which were previously characterized by a higher percentage of monoterpenes [8] [12] [17], our results suggest that N. nigellastrum is chemotaxonomically more likely related to these two species rather than to N. damascena and N. orientalis, whose EOs mainly consist of sesquiterpenes [13] [15]. Moreover, both N. arvensis and N. nigellastrum EOs contain a substantial amount of (À)-enantiomers of a-and b-pinenes.…”