Title: | "Analysis of the volatile organic compounds from leaves, flower spikes, and nectar of Australian grown Agastache rugosa" |
Author(s): | Yamani H; Mantri N; Morrison PD; Pang E; |
Address: | "School of Applied Sciences, Health Innovations Research Institute, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia. nitin.mantri@rmit.edu.au" |
Journal Title: | BMC Complement Altern Med |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1472-6882 (Electronic) 1472-6882 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "BACKGROUND: The foraging choices of honey bees are influenced by many factors, such as floral aroma. The composition of volatile compounds influences the bioactivity of the aromatic plants and honey produced from them. In this study, Agastache rugosa was evaluated as part of a project to select the most promising medicinal plant species for production of bioactive honey. METHODS: Headspace solid-phase microextraction HS-SPME /GC-MS was optimized to identify the volatile bioactive compounds in the leaves, flower spikes, and for the first time, the flower nectar of Australian grown A. rugosa. RESULTS: Methyl chavicol (= estragole) was the predominant headspace volatile compound in the flowers with nectar, flower spikes, and leaves, with a total of 97.16%, 96.74% and 94.35%, respectively. Current results indicate that HS-SPME/GC-MS could be a useful tool for screening estragole concentration in herbal products. CONCLUSION: Recently, estragole was suspected to be carcinogenic and genotoxic, according to the European Union Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Further studies are needed on safe daily intake of Agastache as herbal tea or honey, as well as for topical uses" |
Keywords: | "Agastache/adverse effects/*chemistry Allylbenzene Derivatives Animals Anisoles/adverse effects/*analysis Australia Bees Flowers/chemistry Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods Honey/adverse effects/*analysis Humans Plant Components, Aerial/*chemist;" |
Notes: | "MedlineYamani, Hanaa Mantri, Nitin Morrison, Paul D Pang, Edwin eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2014/12/17 BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014 Dec 15; 14:495. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-495" |