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A total of 36 compounds, which comprised 99.4% of the extract, were identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the volatile dichloromethane extract obtained from Egyptian corn silk. The main constituents of the volatile extract were cis-alpha-terpineol (24.22%), 6,11-oxidoacor-4-ene (18.06%), citronellol (16.18%), trans-pinocamphone (5.86%), eugenol (4.37%), neo-iso-3-thujanol (2.59%), and cis-sabinene hydrate (2.28%). Dried Egyptian corn silk was also directly extracted with petroleum ether, ethanol, and water. All extracts from solvent extraction and the volatile extract described above exhibited clear antioxidant activities at levels of 50-400 microg/mL in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)/linoleic acid assay. The ethanol extract inhibited DPPH activity by 84% at a level of 400 microg/mL. All samples tested via the beta-carotene bleaching assay also exhibited satisfactory antioxidant activity with clear dose responses. This study indicates that corn silk could be used to produce novel natural antioxidants as well as a flavoring agent in various food products.

Essential oil, dichloromethane extract, and ethanol extract were prepared from fresh Schinus terebinthifolius leaves cultivated in Egypt. The essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The essential oil comprised 4.97% monoterpenes, 56.96% sesquiterpenes, 34.37% oxygenated monoterpenes, and 3.32% oxygenated sesquiterpenes. The major compounds in the essential oil were cis-beta-terpineol (GC peak area%, 17.87%), (E)-caryophyllene (17.56%), beta-cedrene (9.76%), and citronellal (7.03%). The major phenolic compounds identified in the ethanol extract were caffeic acid (5.07 mg/100 mg extract), coumaric acid (1.64 mg), and syringic acid (1.59 mg). The antioxidant activity of ethanol extract, which was comparable with that of butylhydroquinone, was superior to essential oil and dichloromethane extract in 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl and beta-carotene/bleaching assays. The dichloromethane extract exhibited the greatest antimicrobial activity against 6 strains, followed by the ethanol extract and the essential oil.

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