The antifungal and insecticidal effect of the essential oil from Ocimum sanctum L. was evaluated using a model set of harmful organisms hazardous for health and the economy. Toxigenic and plant pathogenic filamentous fungi, including causal agents of human infections, were chosen as exemplary fungal groups—Fusarium verticillioides, Penicillium expansum and Aspergillus flavus. Spodoptera littoralis (African cotton leafworm), Culex quinquefasciatus (Southern house mosquito), the lymphatic filariasis vector and potential Zika virus vector, and the common housefly, Musca domestica were chosen as model insects. Major and minor active substances were detected and quantified using GC/MS analysis. Environmental safety was verified using the non-target useful organism Eisenia fetida. Significant antifungal and insecticidal activity, as well as environmental safety, were confirmed. The essential oil showed the highest efficacy against A. flavus according to MIC50/90, and against S. littoralis larvae according to LD_50/90. The monoterpenoid alcohol linalool, t-methyl cinnamate, and estragole as phenylpropanoids were detected as effective major components (85.4%). The essential oil from Ocimum sanctum L. was evaluated as universal and significantly efficient, providing a high potential for use in environmentally safe botanical pesticides.

The aim of this work was to find an effective protocol for in vitro propagation and to perform the in vitro polyploidization of diploid Thymus vulgaris (2n = 30) using two experimental methods based on the use of oryzalin, an antimitotic agent. The ploidy level of the obtained shoots was checked by flow cytometric analysis. The most efficient conditions for inducing polyploidy were oryzalin concentrations of 0.346 and 1.73 mg L⁻¹ present in the medium for two weeks. The vital polyploid shoots were multiplied for further evaluation, rooting and final transfer to nonsterile glasshouse and field conditions. The chemical compositions of the essential oils (EOs)—which were obtained from dried field grown plants by steam distillation—were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The identified substances contributed approximately 95% to the total peak area. Statistical analysis revealed that the tetraploid subclone and the diploid reference plant do not differ in total terpene content, but they do differ in the relative proportions of all the individual terpenes with the exception of α-pinene and UN5, indicating that both clones produce EOs of different quality. The obtained results showed the possibility of developing more efficient botanical insecticides based on EOs obtained from the tetraploid plants.

The paper deals with the investigation of the ascorbic acid influence on the analytical results of polyphenols content in the samples of the mint, fennel and thyme homogenates. The homogenates without addition and with addition of ascorbic acid and water were prepared and stabilized by high pressure treatment and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography and by combination of liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. Polyphenols of acidic nature, e.g. rosmarinic acid, revealed the highest difference between analytical results of the samples with and without ascorbic acid. Volatile terpenes were analyzed in all homogenates by GC-MS technique also with the aim of studying the effect of the addition of water and ascorbic acid on their stability. The finally prepared herbs homogenates are suitable food supplements which will find increasing application in various food preparations.

The paper deals with the investigation of the ascorbic acid influence on the analytical results of polyphenol content in the samples of the spearmint, fennel, and thyme homogenates. The homogenates without and with addition of ascorbic acid and water were prepared and stabilized by high-pressure treatment. Their analysis was accomplished by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with DAD detection and by combination of liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Volatile terpenes were analyzed in all homogenates by combination of gas chromatography with mass spectrometry technique (GC-MS). The content of polyphenols of acidic nature, e.g., rosmarinic acid, revealed the highest difference between analytical results of the samples with and without ascorbic acid. Finally, prepared herb homogenates are suitable food supplements, which will find increasing application in various food preparations.