Essential oils of spontaneous species of the genus Lavandula from Portugal: a brief review

Abstract

Spontaneous lavender growing in uncultivated fields in Portugal have been used in traditional medicine for internal and external uses. The essential oils (EOs) of Lavandula stoechas subsp. luisieri are characterized by the presence of trans-α-necrodyl acetate and trans-necrodol. These EOs are able to prevent the generation and deposition of neurotoxic β-amyloid peptide in Alzheimer’s disease. The EOs also present antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-Leishmania, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antifeedant effects. In the case of hydrodistillation, the predominant compound of Lavandula viridis EO was 1,8-cineole, nevertheless in the case of supercritical fluid extraction, the main constituent was camphor. In in vitro shoots EOs, 1,8-cineole and α-pinene were the most important compounds. The EOs presented anti-fungal activity particularly against Cryptococcus neoformans and dermatophytes. The antioxidant and anti-protozoal activities of L. viridis EOs were lower than L. stoechas subsp. luisieri EOs, with hydrodistillation being the best method for obtaining samples with higher antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities. The presence of fenchone, 1,8-cineole and camphor was a common trace of the Lavandula pedunculata subsp. pedunculata EOs and in in vitro axillary shoots EOs. Lavandula pedunculata subsp. lusitanica EOs were predominantly constituted of fenchone and camphor. The antioxidant activity of L. pedunculata subsp. lusitanica EOs was poorer than other Lavandula EOs from Portugal.

Bioactivity of essential oil from Brassica oleraceae var. italic as an Alternative to Traditional Antibiotics

“…The composition of the essential oil not only varies in the number of molecules but also in the stereoisomeric types of the extracted molecules, depending on the extraction method used (Vairinhos & Miguel, 2020;Virgiliou et al, 2021). To achieve greater recovery of the essential oil from B. oleracea var.…”

The Anti-Inflammatory Response of Lavandula luisieri and Lavandula pedunculata Essential Oils

“…RIs were calculated by linear interpolation relative to retention times of a series of n-alkanes, and compared with those of authenticated samples from the database of the Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra. Mass spectra were compared with reference spectra from a home-made library or from literature data [5,6]. Relative amounts of individual components were calculated based on GC peak areas without FID response factor correction.…”

“…Nevertheless, the genus comprises many other species that remain undervalued and have no commercial value. For example, the Portuguese lavenders L. luisieri and L. pedunculata remain unbranded despite their economic potential, high prevalence, and popularity among local communities [6]. A lack of both scientific-based studies validating their traditional applications and high-quality end-products is partially responsible for this scenario.…”

Determination of agricultural and technological characteristics of different lavender (Lavandula angustofolia Mill.) genotypes in ecological conditions of Çorum province

“…These terpenes are compounds commonly found in these plants that perform important ecological functions such as repelling insects and suppressing the growth and development of other competitive plants (Gershenzone and Croteau 1991;Southwell et al, 2003;Franks et al, 2012). Lavandula angustofolia (lavender) Lavandula x intermedia (lavandin), Lavandula latifolia (Lavandula spica; spike lavender) and Lavandula stoechas (Spanish lavender) are widely used in medicine, food, cosmetics, perfumery and aromatherapy (Vairinhos and Miguel, 2020). Both lavender and lavandin essential oils have wide applications in a various industrial products including perfumes, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and personal care and home care products (Cavanagh and Wilkinson, 2002;Lesage-Meessen et al, 2015).…”