Apiaceae

The traditional system of medicine of the Pacific Rim uses approx 80 species of Apiaceae, for instance, Gentella asiatica (L.) Urban (Hydrocotyle asiatica L. centella, Indian Pharmaceutical Codex, 1955). The plant has been used in India since early times for skin diseases and as a diuretic. It has long been a popular remedy in India for leprosy and syphilis. However, large doses are said to have narcotic action. The plant was used also by the surgeons of Napoleon s army. 

The leaves are simple, spiral and 4-7 cm X 5-8 mm. The blades of basal leaves are ellipticat and the cauline ones are linear-lanceolate. The inflorescence consists of numerous umbels spreading to form a large, loose panicle. The flowers are bright yellow. The achenes are oblong, brown, and prominently ribbed (Fig. 18). 

In Asia, this plant is valued as a remedy for fever, rheumatism, gout, and inflammatory illnesses. In China, the roots are used as febrifuges, deobstruents, and carminatives, and are used to assuage muscle pains, thoracic and abdominal inflammations, puerperal fever, and diarrhea. 

The seeds and vegetative part of plants contain several sorts of inhibitors of insect, fungal, mammalian, and endogenous proteinases. These inhibitors may be involved in plant defense mechanisms against predators and participate in the development of the plant itself. Peptidic proteinase inhibitors are well studied in the families Fabaceae, Poaceae, Asteraceae, and Solanaceae (37). Non-proteinaceous inhibitors of serine 

This genus formerly know as Umbelliferae contain petroselinate (cis-6-octadecenoate) esters in their seed oil. Most interest has focused on the possible oxidation of petroselinic acid at its double bond to produce adipic and lauric acids for industrial purposes (Kleiman, 1990 Knapp, 1990). Several of the Apiaceae are food plants, notably carrots and coriander. Although humans have not usually consumed much petroselinate in their diets, there is no reason to assume that petroselinate-rich oils would not be acceptable food oils. The Apiaceae produce seed with 20-50% oil and 15-30% protein. The petroselinate content of the oil varies from about 30 to 80%. Experiments are underway to transfer the genes for making petroselinate into other oilseed crops. 

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Excellent general information on amphitropical relationships involving taxa from the Pacific Coast of North America and South America appears in a symposium on the subject published in the 1963 Quarterly Review of Biology (Raven, 1963) with contributions from Lincoln Constance on Apiaceae, Larry Heckard on Hydrophyllaceae, Kenton Chambers and Robert Omduff on genera in Asteraceae, and Peter Raven on an overview of floristic relationships between North America and South America. 

Umbelliferae/Apiaceae Daucus carota (carrot) Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) Petroselinum crispum (parsley)... 

These phytochemicals are common in the Asteraceae (Compositae) and Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) (Chitwood, 1992 Zidom et al., 2005). There is considerable interest in these compounds because of their potential as anticancer agents and therapeutic agents (e.g. Zheng et al., 1999 Kobaek-Farsen... 

Zidorn C, Johrer K, Ganzera M, Schubert B, Sigmund E M, Mader J, Greil R, Ellmerer E P and Stuppner H (2005), Polyacetylenes from the Apiaceae vegetables, carrot, celery, fennel, parsley, and parsnip and their cytotoxic activities , J Agric Food Chem, 53, 2518-2523. 

Stanjek V, Piel J, Boland W (1999) Biosynthesis of furanocoumarins melvalonate-independent prenylation of umbelliferone in Apium graveolens (Apiaceae). Phytochemistry 50 1141-1146 Steinberg PD (1992) Geographical variation in the interaction between marine herbivores and brown algal secondary metabolites. In Paul V (ed) Ecological roles of marine natural products. Comstock, Ithaca, pp 51-92... 

Christensen, L. P., and Brandt, K. (2006). Bioactive polyacetylenes in food plants of the Apiaceae family Occurrence, bioactivity and analysis. /. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 41,683-693. 

Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) Angelica slyvestris L. var. slyvestris Velen. 27.5 54.3 49.9... 

Parsnips, for example, belong to the same family—the Apiaceae—as carrots, and are also a favourite of the carrot rust fly. 

Flavone synthase (FNS EC 1.14.11.22) introduces a double bond between C2 and C3 of a flavanone to produce the corresponding flavone. This activity was initially identified in parsley cell suspension cultures and subsequently shown to be encoded by a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase [67, 78, 79], This enzyme, now known as FNS-I, appears to have very limited distribution. To date, it has only been identified in the Apiaceae family (Umbellifers). The more widely occurring FNS-II (CYP93B) was initially identified from snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) flowers [80] and was subsequently shown to be a P450 enzyme. FNS-I, FNS-II, and the various roles flavones play in plant species have recently been reviewed by Martens and Mithofer [81], Subsequent to this review, Yu et al. [82] demonstrated that the characteristic lack of natural accumulation of flavones in Brassicaceae could not be overcome in A. thaliana even by overexpression of recombinant parsley FNS-I. 

Plants that can cause photodermatitis include carrots, celery, parsnip, dill, fennel, caraway, parsley, lovage, anise, and chervil among the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae, or carrot family), figs (Moraceae), and citrus fruits (grapefruit, lemon, lime. 

Asteraceae, Milliaceae and Apiaceae, are among some plant families that are known to have insecticidal constituents. Vulgar-one B (isolated from Artemisia douglasiana Asteraceae), apiol (isolated from Ligusticum hultenii Apiaceae), and cnicin (isolated from Centaurea maculosa Asteraceae) cause significant mortality to Formosan subterranean... 

Fig. 11. Some insecticidal compounds from Asteraceae and Apiaceae.

Hadacek F, Mueller C, Werner A, Greger H, Proksch P, Analysis, isolation and insecticidal activity of linear furanocoumarins and other coumarin derivatives from Peuxedanum (Apiaceae Apioideae),/ Ecol 20 2035—2054, 1994. 

Meepagala KM, Sturtz G, Wedge DE, Schrader KK, Duke SO, Phytotoxic and antifungal compounds from two Apiaceae species, Lomatium californicum and Ligusticum hultenii, rich sources of Z-ligustilide and apiol, respectively, / Chem... 

Angelica root oil is obtained by steam distillation of the dried roots of Angelica archangelica L. [Archangelica officinalis (Moench) Hoffm.], a plant occurring predominantly in Europe (Apiaceae). The oil is a pale yellow to deep amber liquid with a green, herbaceous, peppery, musk-like odor and a bittersweet taste. 

Anise oil. Aniseed oil is obtained by steam distillation of the fruits of Pimpinella anisum L. (Apiaceae). It is a colorless to pale yellow liquid or crystalline mass with a powerful, sweet odor, characteristic of anethole. 

Dill oil is obtained from the dill plant, Anethum graveolens L. (Apiaceae), in two different forms ... 

Galbanum oil and galbanum resinoid are produced from the gumlike exudate of Ferula galbaniflua Boissier and Buhse (Apiaceae) growing in northern Iran and F. rubricaulis Boissier growing in southern Iran. 

Lovage oils are obtained by steam distillation of either the leaves (leaf oil) or the fresh roots (root oil) of the perennial plant Levisticum officinale Koch (Apiaceae). Both oils are yellow-greenish-brown to dark brown liquids with a strong, characteristic, aromatic odor and taste. 

Parsley oils are produced from the plant Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym. ex A. W. Hill (P. sativum Hoffm.), (Apiaceae) ... 

Among many others, well-known families rich in essential oil bearing species are Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Cupressaceae, Hypericaceae, Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Pinaceae, Piperaceae, Rutaceae, Santalaceae, Zingiberaceae and Zy-gophyllaceae [1-4, 8-11, 39]. 

The other major group of irregular monoterpenes is formed by non-head-to-tail fusion of isoprene units. Important members include artemisia ketone 64, santolinatriene 65, chrysanthemol 66, yomogi alcohol 67 and lavandulol 68 (Structure 4.15). Lavandulane-type compounds occur in the families Lamiaceae (Labiatae) and Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), while chrysanthemane, artemisane and santolinane types occur in the family Asteraceae (Compositae) [47,48]. 

Coumarin 162 (Structure 4.49) is a naturally occurring lactone in crystal form found in hay and tonka beans. It is one of the most used fragrance materials and is responsible for spicy green notes. Dihydrocoumarine 163 is also present in various essential oils with a characteristic sweet herbal odour. Umbellif-erone 164, scopoletin 165, bergaptene 166 and coumarin are found in Rutaceae, Apiaceae, Lamiaceae and Asteraceae oils. Nepetalactones 167 are confined to the oils of Nepeta species [1,3, 21-23, 63]. 

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