About: Elecampane is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 293 publications have been published within this topic receiving 1120 citations. The topic is also known as: Inula helenium & large scabious.
TL;DR: Sensitization seems to occur relatively frequently with a few species such as arnica and elecampane, and occurs rarely with the majority, especially the widely used German chamomile, and the risk of elicitation of dermatitis by using Compositae‐containing products in ComposItae‐sensitive individuals is by‐and‐large unknown.
Abstract: The Compositae (Asteraceae) family of plants is currently an important cause of allergic plant contact dermatitis in Europe. The family comprises some of the oldest and most valued medicinal plants, and the increasing popularity of herbal medicine and cosmetics may theoretically result in a growing number of Compositae sensitizations from these sources. According to the literature at least 15 species, including among others arnica (Arnica montana), German and Roman chamomile (Chamomilla recutita and Chamaemelum nobile), marigold (Calendula officinalis), Echinacea and elecampane (Inula helenium), have been suspected of sensitization or elicitation of Compositae dermatitis. Epidemiological data are available for 2 species only, arnica and German chamomile, the rest of the evidence being anecdotal. Based on this, sensitization seems to occur relatively frequently with a few species such as arnica and elecampane, and occurs rarely with the majority, especially the widely used German chamomile. Sesquiterpene lactones are the most important allergens, but there are a few cases of sensitization from a coumarin, a sesquiterpene alcohol and a thiophene. The risk of elicitation of dermatitis by using Compositae-containing products in Compositae-sensitive individuals is by-and-large unknown.
TL;DR: In a bioassay guided search for antimycobacterial compounds from higher plants, the root extracts of Elecampane and Sweet Coneflower and Rudbeckia subtomentosa were chemically investigated for their active constituents.
Abstract: In a bioassay guided search for antimycobacterial compounds from higher plants, the root extracts of Elecampane (Inula helenium L.; Asteraceae) and Sweet Coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa Pursh.; Asteraceae) were chemically investigated for their active constituents. Chromatographic fractions of root extracts of l. helenium, which exhibited significant activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, provided the known eudesmanolides alantolactone, isoalantolactone, and 11 alpha H, 13-dihydroisoalantolactone. Peracid epoxidation of alantolactone and isoalantolactone provided 5 alpha-epoxyalantolactone and 4(15) alpha-epoxyisoalantolactone, respectively and oxidation of alantolactone with OsO4 gave 11,13-dihydroxyalantolactone. Active fractions from R subtomentosa contained the known alloalantolactone and 3-oxoalloalantolactone. The structures of the above compounds were established by spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR techniques as well as spectral comparison with previously reported data. The molecular structure of 5 alpha-epoxyalantolactone was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Eleven natural and semisynthetic eudesmanolides were tested in a radiorespirometric bioassay for activity against M. tuberculosis. 5 alpha-Epoxyalantolactone and encelin from Montanoa speciosa showed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 8 and 16 micrograms ml-1, respectively. Alantolactone, isoalantolactone and its 4 alpha, 15-epoxide, 1,2-dehydro-3-epi-isotelekin and alloalantolactone gave MICs of 32 micrograms ml-1. All other compounds showed MIC values of 128 micrograms ml-1 or higher.
TL;DR: The results showed that essential oils of cumin and clove and their functional extracts are effective on concentrations from 500 mg/L to 750 mg-L and on pathogenic strains at three different concentrations.
Abstract: The hydro distillation method was used in this study to get essential oils (EOs) from cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), clove (Eugenia caryohyllata) and Elecampane (Inula helenium L.) and the co-hydro distillation method (addition of fatty acid ethyl esters as extraction cosolvents) to get functional extracts (EFs). The MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) and the MBC (Minimum Bactericidal Concentration) were determined on five pathogenic strains (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus and Toxoplasma Gondi). The results showed that essential oils of cumin and clove and their functional extracts are effective on concentrations from 500 mg/L to 750 mg/L. The essential oils with functional extracts were used on meat samples at three different concentrations: 750, 1,500 and 2,250 μL. The cumin essential oil produced a reduction of 3.78 log UFC/g with the application of 750 μL, the clove essential oil produced a reduction of 3.78 log UFC/g with the application of 2,250 μL and the cumin and clove functional extracts got a reduction of 3.6 log UFC/g. By chromatography, eugenol was identified in the clove oil, cuminaldehyde in the cumin oil and the isoalactolactones and alactolactones in the elecampane oil as main compounds on the chemical composition of the essential oils and functional extracts obtained.
TL;DR: The chemical composition of the Elecampane (Inula helenium L.) oil was analyzed by means of GC/MS as discussed by the authors, and the essential oil sample and a hexane extract were subjected to microbiological screening against five bacteria and seven fungi.
Abstract: The chemical composition of the Elecampane (Inula helenium L.) oil was analyzed by means of GC/MS. Besides the already known alantolactones (alantolactone (52.4%) and isoalantolactone (33.0%)), additional fifteen minor constituents were also identified in the oil. The essential oil sample and a hexane extract were subjected to microbiological screening against five bacteria and seven fungi and these results were compared to natural compounds known for their antimicrobial activities.
TL;DR: Sesquiterpenes, including alantolactone, isoalantlactone and 5-epoxyalantolactsone, present in I. helenium merit further evaluation as chemopreventive agents, and significantly induced QR activity in both Hepa1c1c7 and BPRc1 cells.
Abstract: Our previous study showed that the methanolic extract of Inula helenium (elecampane) had the potential to induce detoxifying enzymes such as quinine reductase (QR) and glutathione S-transferase. In this study we further fractionated the methanolic extract into hexane-, dichloromethane-, butanol-, and water-soluble fractions according to polarity. The hexane fraction showed the highest QR-inducing activity and also induced glutathione S-transferase in a dose-dependent manner. Its potential to induce the reporter activity suggested an antioxidant response element-mediated mechanism of action in the induction of phase II detoxifying enzymes. Intraperitoneal injection of the hexane fraction of I. helenium into ICR mice caused a significant increase of QR activity in liver, kidney, small intestine, and stomach. Sesquiterpenes, isolated from the hexane fraction, appeared to be major components responsible for QR induction. Among the seven compounds tested in this study, alantolactone, isoalantolactone, and 5α-e...