Chemical Profile, In Vitro Biological Activity and Comparison of Essential Oils from Fresh and Dried Flowers of Lavandula angustifolia L.

Abstract

The chemical composition of essential oils (EOs) from dried and fresh flowers of Lavandula angustifolia L. (lavender), named LA 2019 and LA 2020, respectively, grown in central Italy was analyzed and compared by GC and GC-MS. For both samples, 61 compounds were identified, corresponding to 97.9% and 98.1% of the total essential oils. Explorative data analysis, performed to compare the statistical composition of the samples, resulted in a high level of global similarity (around 93%). The compositions of both samples were characterized by 10 major compounds, with a predominance of Linalool (35.3–36.0%), Borneol (15.6–19.4%) and 1,8-Cineole (11.0–9.0%). The in vitro antibacterial activity assay by disk diffusion tests against Bacillus subtilis PY79 and Escherichia coli DH5α showed inhibition of growth in both indicator strains. In addition, plate counts revealed a bactericidal effect on E. coli, which was particularly noticeable when using oil from the fresh lavender flowers at the highest concentrations. An in vitro antifungal assay showed that the EOs inhibited the growth of Sclerotium rolfsii, a phytopathogenic fungus that causes post-harvest diseases in many fruits and vegetables. The antioxidant activity was also assessed using the ABTS free radical scavenging assay, which showed a different antioxidant activity in both EOs. In addition, the potential application of EOs as a green method to control biodeterioration phenomena on an artistic wood painting (XIX century) was evaluated.

Plants with Antimicrobial Activity Growing in Italy: A Pathogen-Driven Systematic Review for Green Veterinary Pharmacology Applications

“…Limonium avei (De Not.) Brullo and Erben [31]; Schinus molle (L.) [32]; Thymus vulgaris [28]; Crocus sativus L. [33]; Glycyrrhiza glabra [34]; Dianthus rupicola [20]; Lavandula angustifolia L. [35]; Hypericum taxa (Guttiferae) [36]; Fuscoporia torulosa (Basidiomycetes) [27]; Fuscoporia torulosa [27]; Thymus vulgaris [28]; Bupleurum fontanesii [37]; Crithmum maritimum [38]; Ferulago campestris [39]; Origanum onites and Thymus capitatus [40] Clostridium difficile 2 Angelica archangelica L. [41]; Echinophora spinosa (Apiaceae) [42] Clostridium perfringens 3 Angelica archangelica L. (Apiaceae) [41]; Satureja montana L. [43]; Echinophora spinosa (Apiaceae) [42] Table 1. Cont.…”

Effect of Response Surface Methodology-Optimized Ultrasound-Assisted Pretreatment Extraction on the Composition of Essential Oil Released From Tribute citrus Peels

“…Plant essential oil (EO), also known as volatile oil, is a secondary metabolite containing mixtures of lipophilic and volatile compounds with an aromatic odor extracted from different parts of the plants and also a wide diversity of chemical compounds, mainly terpenes ( 6 – 8 ). But its biological activities, percentage of food production, as well as its hydrophobic properties are not clear, which prevents its large-scale application ( 9 ). Plant EO is recognized for its effective, well-tolerated, and nontoxic characteristics, which have led to the development of natural compounds and their derivatives to ameliorate drug resistance and use in many industries, such as the food industry and the pharmaceutical industry, and as traditional domestic natural therapies for thousands of years ( 10 , 11 ).…”

Molecular Distillation of Lavender Supercritical Extracts: Physicochemical and Antimicrobial Characterization of Feedstocks and Assessment of Distillates Enriched with Oxygenated Fragrance Components

“…The essential oil of L. angustifolia , which is commonly produced through steam distillation or hydrodistillation as its variant, is one of the most extensively studied essential oils in terms of its antimicrobial activities [ 4 , 6 , 8 , 38 , 59 , 65 ]. Linalool and linalyl acetate are predominant lavender essential oil oxygenated monoterpenes (about 70% of the total composition) and their biological activities (e.g., anti-inflammatory [ 66 ], antibacterial [ 67 , 68 ], and antifungal [ 69 ]) have been evaluated individually.…”

“…However, specific biological activities of the oil depend on the contributions of individual metabolites, classified as major and minor. Many scientific studies have compared different L. angustifolia essential oils, showing how strongly a geographic region of origin can influence the chemical composition of metabolites and, thus, contribute particular antimicrobial activities [ 65 ].…”