Grapes and red wine prepared from Vitis vinifera L. contain a variety of polyphenols. Some information is available about the polyphenols of the seeds and leaves of grapevine, but considerably less is known about the polyphenols of woody stems. In this paper, we describe the results of a study of polyphenolic compounds in grapevine stems. We demonstrate how a combination of reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet-diode array detection and electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry ion-trap detection enables characterization of a phytochemical mixture of considerable complexity. As the polyphenol source, the stems of three frost-hardy grapevine varieties [Hasaine (Hasansky) sladki, Zilga, and Yubilei Novgoroda] were used. The main group of methanol-extractable polyphenols of stems consists of trans-resveratrol and its derivatives including oligomers and glucosides. As minor components of the extract, stilbenoid piceatannol as well as a number of nonstilbenoid polyphenols, mostly flavan-3-ols and phenolic acids glucosides, were determined. The total polyphenol content of the grapevine stems depends on the variety, whereby the stems of cultivar Yubilei Novgoroda with white grapes contain significantly less of both groups of polyphenols.

Variations in the essential oil composition of Salvia officinalis L. growing in Estonia and in other European countries were determined. The oils were obtained in yields of 2.2-24.8 mL kg(-1). In three samples, the content of essential oil did not conform to the EP standard (10 mL kg(-1)). Variations in the essential oil composition of sage were studied using capillary gas chromatographic methods. A total of 40 components were identified. The principal components in the sage oils were 1,8-cineole, camphor, alpha-thujone, beta-thujone, borneol, and viridiflorol. The chemotypes of sage were not determined in investigated samples. The concentration of the main compounds in the drugs cultivated in Estonia varied in about the same range as the concentrations of these compounds in the oils of drugs obtained from other countries. The comparatively high concentration of toxic thujones seem to be characteristic to sage leaves cultivated in Estonia.

Variations in the essential oil composition of Pimpinella anisum L. fruits obtained from different geographical areas of Europe were determined using capillary GC and GC-MS techniques. The essential oil content of the samples was 10.0-53.6 mL kg(-1) and did not confirm to the European Pharmacopoeia standard in 5 samples out of 14. A total of 21 compounds were identified and significant quantitative differences were observed among the samples. The major component was trans-anethole (76.9-93.7%); the other principal compounds in oils were gamma-himachalene (0.4-8.2%), trans-pseudoisoeugenyl 2-methylbutyrate (0.4-6.4%), p-anisaldehyde (tr-5.4%) and methylchavicol (0.5-2.3%). The highest content of trans-anethole (>90%) was found in the samples from Greece, Hungary, Scotland, Lithuania, Italy, and Germany (2 samples). Essential oil of aniseed from Estonia was rich in gamma-himachalene (8.2%) and trans-pseudoisoeugenyl 2-methylbutyrate (6.4%). The sample from France contained the highest amount of anisaldehyde (5.4%) comparing with other samples (0-3.1%). beta-Bourbonene and alpha-farnesene are determined in anise oil for the first time.

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Variations in the essential oil composition of Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert from different European countries were determined. A total of 39 components were identified, representing over 92% of the total oil yield. The principal biologically active compounds in chamomile oils were bisabolol oxide A (3.1-56.0%), alpha-bisabolol (0.1-44.2%), bisabolol oxide B (3.9-27.2%), cis-enyne-bicycloether (8.8-26.1%), bisabolon oxide A (0.5-24.8%), chamazulene (0.7-15.3%), spathulenol (1.7-4.8%) and (E)-beta-farnesene (2.3-6.6%). In 8 chamomile samples from 13, bisabolol oxide A (27.5-56.0%) was predominant (among them in three Estonian samples). alpha-Bisabolol (23.9-44.2%) was predominant in the samples from Moldova, Russia and the Czech Republic. The sample from Armenia was rich in bisabolol oxide B (27.2%) and chamazulene (15.3%). The oils were obtained in yields of 0.7-6.7 mL kg(-1) and the minimum limit of 4 mL kg(-1) stated by the European Pharmacopoeia was exceeded only in 13 samples from 13 analysed drugs.

The rapid emergence of drug-resistant strains and novel viruses have motivated the search for new anti-infectious agents. In this study, the chemical compositions and cytotoxicity, as well as the antibacterial, antifungal, antitrichomonas, and antiviral activities of essential oils from the leaves, rhizomes, and whole plant of Hornstedtia bella were investigated. The GC/MS analysis showed that β-pinene, E-β-caryophyllene, and α-humulene were found at high concentrations in the essential oils. The essential oils exhibited (i) inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum lethal concentration (MLC) values from 1 to 4% (v/v); (ii) MIC and MLC values from 2 to 16% (v/v) in Candida tropicalis and Candida parapsilosis; (iii) MIC and MLC values from 4 to 16% in Enterococcus faecalis; and (iv) MIC and MLC values from 8 to greater than or equal to 16% (v/v) in the remaining strains, including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans, and Candida glabrata. In antitrichomonas activity, the leaves and whole-plant oils of Hornstedtia bella possessed IC50, IC90, and MLC values of 0.008%, 0.016%, and 0.03% (v/v), respectively, whilst those of rhizomes oil had in turn, 0.004%, 0.008%, and 0.016% (v/v).Besides, the leaf oil showed a weak cytotoxicity against Vero 76 and MRC-5; meanwhile, rhizomes and whole-plant oils did not exert any toxic effects on cell monolayers. Finally, these oils were not active against EV-A71.

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