Nepeta oils

ANALYSIS OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL OF NEPETA SINTENISII BORNM. FROM IRAN... 

Nepeta (Lamiaceae) is a genus of perennial or annual herbs found in Asia, Europe and North Africa. About 250 species of Nepeta are reported of which, 67 species are present in Iran. Some species of this genus are important medicinal plants and their extracts have been used for medicinal purposes. Aerial parts of Nepeta sintenisii Bornm. was subjected to hydrodistillation and the chemical composition of isolated essential oil has been analyzed by GC/MS method for first time. Identification of components of the volatile oil was based on retention indices relative to n-alkanes and computer matching with the Wiley275.L library, as well as by comparison of the fragmentation patterns of the mass spectra with those reported in the literature. 

Aerial parts of N. sintenisii yielded 0.3% of a clear yellowish oil. Forty constituents (96.5% of the total oil) were identified. The main components were 4aP,7a,7aP-nepetalactone (23.4%), elemol (16.1%), E- -farnesene (9.5%), 1,8-cineole (8.2%), cw-sabinene hydrate (6.5%), P-bisabolene (4.2%), germacrene-D (3.5%), P-sesquiphellandrene (2.8%), P-bourbonene (1.5%) and a-epi-cadinol (1.3%). According to available data, Nepeta species can be divided into two groups of nepetalactone-containing and nepetalactone-free species. The results of this study indicate that the compositions of volatile oil of N. sintenisii are similar to the other Nepeta genus and this plant could be classified in the group which 4aP,7a,7aP-nepetalactone is the major component of their oils. 

Content and composition of essential oils from Nepeta L. species, most of them containing diastereomeric nepetalactones, unsaturated 8-lactones with annelated cyclopentane ring 98KPS84. 

Nepetalactone (Fig. 11.5c), a monoterpene lactone (or iridoid) from the volatile oil of catmint, Nepeta cataria, excites domestic cats and other felids (Todd, 1962 Palen and Goddard, 1966 Hill etal, 1976). 

Baldovini N, Ristorcelli D, Tomi F, Casanova J, Infraspecific variabifity of the essential oil of Calamintha nepeta from Corsica (France), Flavour Fragr J, 15 50-54, 2000. 

Evidence of repellent properties in camip, Nepeta cataria, to flies and cockroaches was observed in preliminary studies.This study compared catnip essential oil obtained by steam distillation and elemol (Fig. 8), a major constituent of osage orange essential oil, to current commercial repellents. These comparative studies found both the camip steam distillate and elemol to be as good, and in some cases better, at repelling house... 

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]. 

While, nepetalactone, the essential oil of catrup Nepeta cataria) that gives the plant its characteristic aroma, has been reported to be about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEBT 49). 

Occurrence I. was first isolated from the Australian ant Iridomyrmex detectus and the hunting beetle Sta-phylinus olens, Coleoptera Staphylinidae). It was later also found in the essential oil of a not exactly defined Australian species of Myoporum. Nepetalac-tone occurs in the essential oil (51%) of the genuine catmint Nepeta cataria, Lamiaceae) and is an attrac-tant for cats. 

Kobaisy M, TeUez MR, Dayan FE, Mamonov LK, Mukanova GS, Sitpaeva GT, Gemejieva NG (2005) Composition and phytotoxic activity of Nepeta pannonica L essential oil. J Essent Oil Res 17(6) 704-707... 

The bitter iridoid monoterpenes usually occur as glycosides (see Chapter 4). Non-glycosidic iridoids include the sedative valepotriates found in valerian—Valeriana spp. (Valerianaceae). They are closely related to nepetalactone, the volatile component of essential oil of catnip, Nepeta cataria (Lamiaceae), responsible for attracting cats to the plant. 

Rigano, D., Arnold, N. A., Conforti, R, Menichini, R, Rormisano, C., Piozzi, F. etal. (2011). Characterisation of the essential oil of Nepeta glomerata Montbret et Anchor ex Bentham from Lebanon and its biological activities.25(6), 614-626. 

Tsuruoka, T., Bekh-Ochir, D., Kato, R, Snduin, S., Shataryn, A., Ayurzana, A. et al. (2012). The essential oil of Mongolian Nepeta sibirica A single component and its biological activity. 24(6),... 

Zomorodian, K., Saharkhiz, M. J., Shariati, S., Pakshir, K., Rahimi, M. J., and Khashei, R. (2012). Chemical composition and antimicrobial activities of essential oil from Nepeta cataria L. against common causes of food-borne infections. Int. Schol. Res. Net. 2012 591953. 

Valeriana oils (and valerianic and isovalerianic acids) and nepeta oUs (and nepetalactones) are well-known feline-attractant oils. Their odor attracts male cats. 

Mutlu, S., 0. Atici, N. Esim, and E. Mete, 2010. Essential oils of catmint (Nepeta meyeri Benth.) induce oxidative stress in early seedlings of various weed species. ActaPl sioL J, 33 943-951. 

Catnip oil (Nepeta cataria) containing nepetalactones can be used effectively as a mosquito repellent. It is said to be 10 times more effective than DEBT (Moschetti, 2003). Juniperus communis berry oil... 

Nepetalactone as main oil component from catmint species Nepeta sp.) occius in three isomers (4aa,7a,7aa 4aa,7a,7ap 4aa,7p,7aa) and is a powerful attractant and stimulant for cats. It is produced from iridodial. 

Grbic ML, Stupar M, Vukojevic J, Sokovic M, Misic D, Grubisic D, Ristic M (2008) Antifungal activity of Nepeta rtanjensis essential oil. J Serb Chem Soc 73 961... 

Among the monoterpenoid lactones, derivatives of the iridane series 600) have acquired limited importance as aroma substances. Nepetalactone (143) occurs in quantities of up to 78% in American oil of catnip Nepeta cataria L.) 490), while epinepetalactone (144) is the major constituent (70%) of the essential oil of Nepeta mussini L. 490). The essential oil of this species was also found to contain neonepetalactone (146) as well as the two saturated compounds a- and 5-dihydronepetalactones (147) and (148) 490, 518) and 5,9-dehydronepetalactone (145) 528). Both dihydro compounds (147) and (148) are structurally closely related to the iri-domyrmecins from Actinidia polygama 515, 516). Lactones (143) to (150) are aroma compounds which have a strong odor and which exert an attracting effect on Felidae 518, 519). 

Situnja Galamintha. Caiamintha nepeta).—k number of oils have been described under this name, but in most oases the botanical source was not traced with certainty. A sample of absolute authenticity has been examined by Eoure-Bertrand Fils, who reported on the oil as follows the plants yielded 0-14-26 per cent, of essential oil, and were grown in Sicily. The odour of the oil, which is brownish in colour, re-cipUs that of pennyroyal. The oil had the following characters —... 

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