The kinetics of ultrasonic extraction of extractive substances (ES) from dry herbs of garden (Salvia officinalis L.) and glutinous (Salvia glutinosa L.) sage using petroleum ether, 70% ethanol or water at 40 degrees C, as well as the composition of dry extracts, were studied. The mechanism of ultrasonic extraction is confirmed to occur in two steps: first, dissolution of the ES near the particle surface (washing) and, second, diffusion from the solid particles to the bulk of the liquid extract (slow extraction). The process is described mathematically using three concepts of the unsteady diffusion through plant material, the film theory and the empirical equation of Ponomaryov. The yield of ES increases with increasing solvent polarity, and nearly the maximum concentration of ES in liquid extracts is achieved for about 20 min. The composition of extracts depends on both the extraction conditions applied and the plant material.

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A wide spectrum of phytochemicals could be isolated from sage (Salvia officinalis L.) using different extraction or distillation technique: the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), the volatiles compounds (monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes) isolation using hydrodistillation or higher molecular compounds with Soxhlet extraction or ultrasound-assisted extraction. The combination of ultrasound-assisted extraction followed by re-extraction of obtained extract with supercritical CO(2) was performed in this study. The goal of performed investigation was to concentrate diterpenes present in sage extract which are generally considered to be responsible for antioxidant activity of extracted compounds. The fractionation using the supercritical CO(2), and different combination of the ultrasound-assisted solvent extractions (water-ethanol mixture or only water) followed by supercritical CO(2) re-extraction of obtained extract or treated plant material were analyzed and compared. Based on the results of these investigations it could be proposed the best extraction procedure: the ultrasound pretreatment of plant material with distilled water and re-extraction of plant material (residue) using supercritical CO(2). That procedure gives two valuable products: the ultrasound extract which is rich in sugars and possess the immunomodulatory activity and supercritical extract which is rich in diterpenes and sesquiterpenes.

Plant species Satureja kitaibelii Wierzb. ex Heuff. is used as a spice and as a natural preservative for food and herbal tea, owing to its characteristic scent and flavor as well as high antimicrobial activity. In the present study, the antimicrobial activity of isolated essential oil of S. kitaibelii was tested against a panel of 30 pathogenic microorganisms (foodborne microbes, selected multiresistant bacterial isolates from the patient wounds and dermatophyte isolates). Limonene (15.54%), p-cymene (9.99%), and borneol (8.91%) appeared as the main components in 44 identified compounds representing 98.44% of the oil. Essential oil of S. kitaibelii showed significant activity against a wide spectrum of foodborne microbes (MIC=0.18-25.5 μg mL-1) and multiresistant bacterial isolates (MIC=6.25-50.0 μg mL-1), as well as against dermatophyte strains (MIC=12.5-50.0 μg mL-1). These results demonstrate that S. kitaibelii essential oil could be used as a natural potential antimicrobial agent against pathogenic strains in the treatment of foodborne disease, wound and skin infections.

ASBTRACT Toxicity of twenty-two essential oils to three bacterial pathogens in different horticultural systems: Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli (causing blight of bean), Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (bacterial wilt and canker of tomato), and Pseudomonas tolaasii (causal agent of bacterial brown blotch on cultivated mushrooms) was tested. Control of bacterial diseases is very difficult due to antibiotic resistance and ineffectiveness of chemical products, to that essential oils offer a promising alternative. Minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations are determined by applying a single drop of oil onto the inner side of each plate cover in macrodilution assays. Among all tested substances, the strongest and broadest activity was shown by the oils of wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), oregano (Origanum vulgare), and lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus. Carvacrol (64.0-75.8%) was the dominant component of oregano oils, while geranial (40.7%) and neral (26.7%) were the major constituents of lemongrass oil. Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli was the most sensitive to plant essential oils, being susceptible to 19 oils, while 11 oils were bactericidal to the pathogen. Sixteen oils inhibited the growth of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis and seven oils showed bactericidal effects to the pathogen. The least sensitive species was Pseudomonas tolaasii as five oils inhibited bacterial growth and two oils were bactericidal. Wintergreen, oregano, and lemongrass oils should be formulated as potential biochemical bactericides against different horticultural pathogens.

Lavender, anise, chamomile, fennel, geranium, oregano, parsley, and sage essential oils were tested for their effectiveness against mushroom pathogens: Verticillium fungicola var. fungicola, Mycogone perniciosa, and Cladobotryum sp. Isolates were exposed to the volatile phase of the oils and then ventilated in order to determine if the effect of the oil was lethal to the pathogen. Oregano and geranium oils were the most toxic, having a fungicidal effect at 0.02-0.08 μl/ml of air, depending on the pathogen. Oregano oil was characterized by high content of carvacrol and thymol, while citranelol and geraniol were the main components of geranium oil

The young shoots and leaves of Critmum maritimum are valued for their salty, spicy taste and for their vitamin C and mineral salts content. The strongly scented essence extracted from the whole plant can be added to food or medicinal wine to stimulate the appetite, aid digestion, and relieve flatulence [1]. The leaves have been used for medicinal purposes as a tonic, an antiscorbutic, diuretic, carminative, and digestive [2]. Essential oil isolated from see fennel exibited antioxidant and antibacterial activities [3], and high insecticidal activities [4]. Previously isolated classes of constituents were essential oils [5,6], coumarins [5,7], and flavonoids [7].We tested the antifungal activity of C. maritimum essential oil against mushroom pathogenic microfungi Mycogone perniciosa Mang.Roots of Critmum maritimum L. (Apiaceae) were collected in Herceg Novi, Montenegro during May 2003. Voucher specimen accession number CM 12505 is deposited in the herbarium of the Botanical Garden, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade.Essential oil was prepared by hydrodistillation (in Clevenger-type apparatus) of fresh plant material (yield: 1.0%). Essential oils were investigated for their composition by the use of analytical GC/FID and GC/MS technique.Antifungal activity was tested using the modified microatmospheric method [8]. Petri plates measuring 50 mm were filled with 10 mL potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and then seeded with a small amount of 7-day-old mycelium culture of the tested fungi. The Petri dishes were then inverted and the determined amount (1-20 μL/disc) of pure oil and components (1-10 μL/disc) impregnated on sterile filter paper discs (6 mm in diameter) deposited on the inverted lid. Commercial fungicide, Prochloraz-Mn, was used as a negative control (5->50 μL/disc)). Minimal inhibitory quantities (MIQ) and minimal fungicidal quantities (MFQ) of essential oils were noted every 7 days. MIQ and MFQ are reported as the mean ± SD of tree replicates for each concentration (quantities) of oils. The inverted Petri dishes were incubated for 21 days at 25°C.The chemical composition of Critmum maritimum essential oil is listed in Table 1. The two most abundant components were α-pinene (26.29%) and limonene (31.74%) and were used for testing antifungal activity (Table 2).It can be seen that the essential oil and components tested showed much better antifungal activities than the commercial fungicide prochloraz-Mn. The essential oil of C. maritimum possessed antifungal activity with minimal inhibitory quantity at 1 μL/disc and minimal fungicidal quantity at 20 μL/disc. MIQ for α-pinene was 5 μL/disc, and MFQ 10 μL/disc, while limonene showed higher antifungal activity with MIQ 1 μL/disc, and MFQ 5 μL/disc. The essential oil and components showed high antifungal properties, which may be useful for practical purposes.