Echinophora tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana—Study of the Histochemical Localization of Essential Oil

Abstract

Background: Echinophora tenuifolia L. subsp. sibthorpiana is a perennial, aromatic plant used in traditional folk medicine and cuisine of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. However, scholars have not fully studied the pharmacological potential of the herb, and the scientific data on this plant species are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) obtained from the aerial parts of E. tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana growing wild in Bulgaria and to perform histochemical analysis. Methods: A microscopic histochemical analysis and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry were performed. Results: The histochemical analysis confirmed the presence of terpenes in the stem and leaf of E. tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana. The phenylpropanoid methyleugenol was identified as the main compound in the EO, representing 48.13% of the total oil composition. There were also found considerable amounts of monoterpene hydrocarbons, representing 41.68% of the total EO. Alpha-phellandrene, o-cymene, and β-phellandrene were the most abundant monoterpene hydrocarbons. Conclusion: This is the first histochemical analysis performed on E. tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana. This is the first report of the EO composition from Bulgarian E. tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana, and our results indicate some future possibilities for evaluating of the biological activity of the EO of E. tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana and highlight the potential future use of the EO of this plant species. E. tenuifolia L. subsp. sibthorpiana EO possesses a good potential for use as a biopesticide and repellent an environmentally friendly alternative of synthetic pesticides.

Genus Echinophora—Biological Activity, Chemical Composition, and Future Perspectives

“…The main compounds found in the EO of E. tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana are methyl eugenol, δ-3-carene, α-phellandrene, as well as p -cymen, with the differences in their content in EOs from different geographical regions being mainly quantitative [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. The phenylpropanoid methyl eugenol was found to be the major constituent in EOs from Bulgaria [ 5 ], Iran [ 37 ], Republic of North Macedonia [ 6 ], and Turkey [ 41 ].…”

“…sibthorpiana are methyl eugenol, δ-3-carene, α-phellandrene, as well as p -cymen, with the differences in their content in EOs from different geographical regions being mainly quantitative [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. The phenylpropanoid methyl eugenol was found to be the major constituent in EOs from Bulgaria [ 5 ], Iran [ 37 ], Republic of North Macedonia [ 6 ], and Turkey [ 41 ]. The monoterpene α-phellandrene was the main constituent in the EOs from plants found in Greece [ 4 ] and Turkey [ 40 ], while δ-3-carene was found in significant quantity in EO from Turkey [ 40 ].…”

“…In Europe, the genus is represented by E. spinosa , E. tenuifolia , and E. tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana (or E. sibthorpiana ) ( Figure 1 ), the latter being the most widely distributed species from the genus that can be found in numerous countries, including countries of the Balkans (Greece, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia), Turkey, and Iran [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. E. spinosa is a halophytic plant distributed in the sandy coastal regions of the Mediterranean, found in South Europe (including France, Italy, Montenegro, and Greece), as well as the coastal regions of Northern Africa, including Algeria, and more recently, Tunisia [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”