Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial and Insecticidal Activities of Flowers Essential Oils of Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L.Burtt & R.M.Sm. from Martinique Island

Abstract

Alpinia species, used as ornamental plants and flavoring agents, are renowned for their therapeutic properties and their subsequent use in traditional medicines throughout the world. Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L.Burtt & R.M.Sm. is the most common Alpinia species encountered in Martinique. Several essential oils (EOs) obtained by hydrodistillation of A. zerumbet flowers collected in various locations on the island at different seasons were analysed to evaluate the influence of the collection period and area on the EOs' chemical compositions and to assess their bioactivity. A combination of GC-FID and GC/MS techniques was used to examine the volatile constituents, leading to the identification of a total of 71 components accounting for 97.8 - 99.3% of the respective total GC-FID areas: among them, nineteen compounds were characterized for the first time in A. zerumbet EOs. The antimicrobial activity of these EOs was assessed against eight bacterial, yeast and fungal strains and two multi-resistant strains: some significant bacteriostatic and fungistatic activities of A. zerumbet flower oils were evidenced. Finally, an interesting insecticidal activity of the flower EO was highlighted for the first time against Aedes aegypti.

Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil of Nigeria Grown Hoslundia opposita Vahl (Lamiaceae) Dried Leaves and Its Bioactivity against Cowpea Seed Bruchid

“…Other major chemical constituents identified in this H . opposita EO had been reported as the major components in the EO of botanical species found to be either repellent or insecticidal against stored product pests . Although, this study did not evaluate the bioactivity of the individual compounds identified in the H .…”

<b><i>Alpinia zerumbet</i></b> and Its Potential Use as an Herbal Medication for Atherosclerosis: Mechanistic Insights from Cell and Rodent Studies

“…In essential oils from the fruits of nine batches of A. zerumbet , α -pinene (24.31%), β -pinene (21.31%), camphor (42.08%), and α -cadinol (27.16%) were the main bioactive ingredients. A total of 71 components were identified from essential oils extracted from flowers, accounting for 97.8–99.3%, the most abundant of which were eucalyptol (17.4–25.2%), terpinen-4-ol (Trp-4-ol; 14.7–22.6%), sabinene (7.0–16.5%), γ -terpinene (6.9–14.7%), p -cymene (2.1–8.8%), and α -terpinene (1.9–8.1%) [22].…”

AlpiniaEssential Oils and Their Major Components againstRhodnius nasutus, a Vector of Chagas Disease

“…Essential oils from species of Alpinia genus have activity against insects, which makes them prototypes for formulations with insecticidal action [ 6 – 10 ]. In this context, a solution of 0.1% of the essential oil from A. zerumbet flowers exhibited repellent activity (51.8%), irritating action (64.9%), and an interesting toxic activity (66.8%) against the mosquito Aedes aegypti , suggesting that this oil could be evaluated as bioinsecticide against this vector.…”

“…The main components of the A. zerumbet flowers oil, 1,8-cineol and terpinen-4-ol, exhibited repellent action against A. aegypti [ 11 ], whereas p-cymene and α - and γ -terpinene displayed strong larvicidal properties [ 11 – 13 ]. Additionally, the monoterpene sabinene displays to some extent biting deterrent activity against this mosquito species [ 6 , 13 ].…”