Abstract
Laurus nobilis L. is an aromatic shrub or tree, Mediterranean element. The leaves are employed as a spice and for medicinal purposes. It is known by various names in Turkey, such as “defne, har and tehnel.” In this study, 15 different laurel leaf samples were purchased from 6 different cities in Turkey, diagnosed, and evaluated in terms of quality. The conditions of use and sale of these samples were evaluated. The essential oils obtained from the leaf samples were analyzed, and their physical properties such as density, refractive index, and optical rotation were determined. In the chemical composition of the oils, 1,8-cineole (41.2–64.4%), sabinene (1.5–15.9%), and α-terpinyl acetate (1.5–15%) have been found to be the major components. However, in one station, the presence of 1,8-cineole was not be determined. Laurel leaf drugs offered for sale in some provinces of Turkey were purchased from the market and their morphological characteristics and essential oil profiles were examined and evaluated in terms of public health. It was determined that these samples should be standardized and quality-controlled before being released to the market.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
References
Abu-Dahab R, Kasabri V, Afifi F (2014) Evaluation of the volatile oil composition and antiproliferative activity of Laurus nobilis L. (Lauraceae) on breast cancer cell line models. Rec Nat Prod 8:136–147
Alimi D, Hajri A, Jallouli S, Sebai H (2021) In vitro acaricidal activity of essential oil and crude extracts of Laurus nobilis, (Lauraceae) grown in Tunisia, against arthropod ectoparasites of livestock and poultry: Hyalomma scupense and Dermanyssus gallinae. Vet Parasitol 298:109507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109507
Anzano A, de Falco B, Grauso L, Motti R, Lanzotti V (2022) Laurel, Laurus nobilis L.: a review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology. Phytochem Rev 21:565–615. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-021-09791-z
Ballero M, Poli F, Sacchetti G, Loi MC (2001) Ethnobotanical research in the territory of Fluminimaggiore (south-western Sardinia). Fitoterapia 72:788–801. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0367-326X(01)00334-3
Batiha GS, Beshbishy AM, Alkazmi LM, Adeyemi OS, Nadwa E, Rashwan E, El-Mleeh A, Igarashi I (2020) Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, phytochemical screening and antiprotozoal effects of the methanolic Viola tricolor and acetonic Laurus nobilis extracts. BMC Complement Med Ther 20:87. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-020-2848-2
Baytop T (1999) Türkiye’de Bitkilerle Tedavi (Geçmişte ve Bugün). Nobel Tıp Kitabevleri, İstanbul
Belasli A, Miri YB, Aboudaou M, Ouahioune LA, Montañes L, Ariño A, Djenane D (2020) Antifungal, antitoxigenic, and antioxidant activities of the essential oil from laurel (Laurus nobilis L.): potential use as wheat preservative. Food Sci Nutr 8:4717–4729. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1650
Bulut G, Tuzlaci E (2013) An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Turgutlu (Manisa-Turkey). J Ethnopharmacol 149:633–647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2013.07.016
Cai Z, Peng J, Chen Y, Tao L, Zhang Y, Fu L, Long Q, Shen X (2021) 1,8-Cineole: a review of source, biological activities, and application. J Asian Nat Prod Res 23:938–954. https://doi.org/10.1080/10286020.2020.1839432
Demirbolat I, Karik Ü, Erçin E, Kartal M (2020) Gender dependent differences in composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of wild and cultivated Laurus nobilis L. leaf and flower essential oils from Aegean Region of Turkey. J Essent Oil Bear Pl 23:1084–1094. https://doi.org/10.1080/0972060X.2020.1843548
Demiriz H (1982) Laurus L. In: Davis PH (ed) Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, vol 7. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, p 535
Dobroslavić E, ElezGarofulić I, Zorić Z, Pedisić S, Dragović-Uzelac V (2021) Polyphenolic characterization and antioxidant capacity of Laurus nobilis L. leaf extracts obtained by green and conventional extraction techniques. Processes 9(10):1840. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9101840
Ecevit Genç G, Özhatay N (2006) An ethnobotanical study in Çatalca (European part of İstanbul) II. Turkish J Pharm Sci 3:73–89
Elkıran Ö, Akbaba E, Bağcı E (2018) Constituents of essential oils from leaves and seeds of Laurus nobilis L.: a chemotaxonomic approach. Bangladesh J Bot 47:893–901. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjb.v47i4.47379
European Pharmacopoeia (2013) 8th edition. Volume 1. Council of Europe, Strasbourg.
Gökşen G, Eser E, Ekiz HI (2022) Piyasadan temin edilen defne uçucu yağlarının kalite özelliklerinin karşılaştırılması ve antimikrobiyal özelliklerinin belirlenmesi. Çukurova J Agric Food Sci. 37(1):9–20. https://doi.org/10.36846/CJAFS.2022.68
Gonzalez JA, Garcia-Barriuso M, Amich F (2010) Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants traditionally used in the Arribes del Duero, western Spain. J Ethnopharmacol 131:343–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2010.07.022
Ham A, Shin J, Oh K-b, Lee S-J, Nam K-W, Koo U, Kim KH, Mar W (2011) Neuroprotective effect of the n-hexane extracts of Laurus nobilis L. in models of Parkinson’s disease. Biomol Ther 19(1):118–125. https://doi.org/10.4062/biomolther.2011.19.1.118
Jemaa JMB, Tersim N, Toudert KT, Khouja ML (2012) Insecticidal activities of essential oils from leaves of Laurus nobilis L. from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco and comparative chemical composition. J Stored Prod Res 48:97–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2011.10.003
Julianti E, Jang KH, Lee S, Lee D, Mar W, Oh K-B, Shin J (2012) Sesquiterpenes from the leaves of Laurus nobilis L. Phytochem 80:70–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2012.05.013
Kıvrak Ş, Göktürk T, Kıvrak İ (2017) Assessment of volatile oil composition, phenolics and antioxidant activity of bay (Laurus nobilis) leaf and usage in cosmetic applications. Int J Second Metab 4:148–61. https://doi.org/10.21448/ijsm.323800
Maxia A, Lancioni MC, Balia AN, Alborghetti R, Pieroni A, Loi MC (2008) Medical ethnobotany of the Tabarkins, a Northern Italian (Ligurian) minority in south-western Sardinia. Genet Resour Crop Evol 55:911–924. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-007-9296-4
Merghni A, Marzouki H, Hentati H, Aouni M, Mastouri M (2016) Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of Laurus nobilis L. essential oil against Staphylococcus aureus strains associated with oral infections. Curr Res Transl Med 64:29–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.patbio.2015.10.003
Mohammed RR, Omer AK, Yener Z, Uyar A, Ahmed AK (2021) Biomedical effects of Laurus nobilis L. leaf extract on vital organs in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: experimental research. Ann Med Surg 61:188–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2020.11.051
Nagah N, Mostafa I, Dora G, El-Sayed Z, Ateya A-M (2021) Essential oil composition, cytotoxicity against hepatocellular carcinoma, and macro and micro-morphological fingerprint of Laurus nobilis cultivated in Egypt. Egypt J Bot 61(2):521–540. https://doi.org/10.21608/EJBO.2021.56342.1603
Najem M, Harouak H, Ibijbijen J, Nassiri L (2020) Oral disorders and ethnobotanical treatments: a field study in the central Middle Atlas (Morocco). Heliyon 6(8):e04707. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04707
Nayak S, Nalabothu P, Sandiford S, Bhogadi V, Adogwa A (2006) Evaluation of wound healing activity of Allamanda cathartica L. and Laurus nobilis L. extracts on rats. BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 6:12. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-6-12
Odeh D, Oršolic N, Berendika M, Ðikic D, Domjanic Drozdek S, Balbino S, Repajic M, Dragovic-Uzelac V, Jurcevic IL (2022) Antioxidant and anti-atherogenic activities of essential oils from Myrtus communis L. and Laurus nobilis L. in rat. Nutrients 14:1465. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14071465
Özer T, Sert FZ, Öztürk Aİ (2019) Defne bitkisi ve yağı üzerine bir araştırma. Gaziosmanpasa J Sci Res 8(2):25–34
Peris I, Blázquez MA (2015) Comparative GC-MS analysis of bay leaf (Laurus nobilis L.) essential oils in commercial samples. Int J Food Prop 18:757–762. https://doi.org/10.1080/10942912.2014.906451
Peter KV (2012) Handbook of herbs and spices, vol 1. Woodhead Publishing Company, Cambridge, UK
Petkova Z, Stefanova G, Girova T, Antova G, Stoyanova M, Damianova S, Gochev V, Stoyanova A, Zheljazkov VD (2019) Phytochemical investigations of laurel fruits (Laurus nobilis). Nat Prod Commun 14(8):1934578X19868876. https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578X19868876
Polat R, Cakilcioglu U, Kaltalioğlu K, Ulusan MD, Türkmen Z (2015) An ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants in Espiye and its surrounding (Giresun-Turkey). J Ethnopharmacol 163:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2015.01.008
Qnais EY, Abdulla FA, Kaddumi EG, Abdalla SS (2012) Antidiarrheal activity of Laurus nobilis L. leaf extract in rats. J. Med. Food 15(1):51–57. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2011.1707
Ravindran CA, Vikneswaran A, Murugaiyah L, Khiang PK, Xavior R (2013) Hepatoprotective activity of leaf of methanol extract of Laurus nobilis L. against paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Asian J Pharm Clin Res 6(4):153–157
Rizwana H, Al Kubaisi N, Al-Meghailaith NN, Moubayed NMS, Albasher G (2019) Evaluation of chemical composition, antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic activity of Laurus nobilis L grown in Saudi Arabia. J Pure Appl Microbiol 13(4):2073–2085. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.13.4.19
Said O, Khalil K, Fulder S, Azaizeh H (2002) Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal herbs in Israel, the Golan Heights and the West Bank region. J Ethnopharmacol 83(3):251–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(02)00253-2
Sayyah M, Valizadeh J, Kamalinejad M (2002) Anticonvulsant activity of the leaf essential oil of Laurus nobilis against pentylenetetrazole- and maximal electroshock-induced seizures. Phytomedicine 9:212–216. https://doi.org/10.1078/0944-7113-00113
Sayyah M, Saroukhani G, Peirovi A, Kamalinejad M (2003) Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf essential oil of Laurus nobilis Linn. Phytother Res 17:733–736. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1197
Speroni E, Cervellati R, Dall’Acqua S, Guerra MC, Greco E, Govoni P, Innocenti G (2011) Gastroprotective effect and antioxidant properties of different Laurus nobilis L leaf extracts. J Med Food 14(5):499–504. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2010.0084
Stefanova G, Girova T, Gochev V, Stoyanova M, Petkova Z, Stoyanova A, Zheljazkov VD (2020) Comparative study on the chemical composition of laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) leaves from Greece and Georgia and the antibacterial activity of their essential oil. Heliyon 6(12):05491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05491
Taban A, Saharkhiz MJ, Niakousari M (2018) Sweet bay (Laurus nobilis L) essential oil and its chemical composition, antioxidant activity and leaf micromorphology under different extraction methods. Sustain Chem Pharm 9:12–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scp.2018.05.001
Ugulu I, Baslar S, Yorek N, Dogan Y (2009) The investigation and quantitative ethnobotanical evaluation of medicinal plants used around İzmir province. Turkey J Med Plant Res 3(5):345–367
Vallverdú-Queralt A, Regueiro J, Martínez-Huélamo M, Alvarenga JFR, Leal LN, Lamuela-Raventos RM (2014) A comprehensive study on the phenolic profile of widely used culinary herbs and spices: rosemary, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, cumin and bay. Food Chem 154:299–307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.12.106
Yakoubi R, Megateli S, HadjSadok T, Bensouici C, Bağci E (2021) A synergistic interactions of Algerian essential oils of Laurus nobilis L., Lavandula stoechas L. and Mentha pulegium L. on anticholinesterase and antioxidant activities. Biocatal Agric Biotechnol 31:101891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2020.101891
Yilmaz E, Timur M, Aslim B (2013) Antimicrobial, antioxidant activity of the essential oil of bay laurel from Hatay. Turkey J Essent Oil-Bear 16(1):108–116. https://doi.org/10.1080/0972060X.2013.764158
Yılmaz B, Deniz İ (2017) The effects of cultivation area and altitude variation on the composition of essential oil of Laurus nobilis L. grown in eastern, western and central Karadeniz region. Int J Sec Metabolite 4:187–194
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
GK and AK designed the research; GK, GÖ, and TÖ performed the major experiments; GK wrote the draft of the manuscript; GÖ and TÖ analyzed the data; AK, GÖ, and TÖ drafted and revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Communicated by Handling Editor: Peter Nick.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Kendir, G., Özek, G., Köroğlu, A. et al. The quality evaluation of the laurel leaf samples sold in the market under the name of “Defne Yaprağı”. Protoplasma 261, 303–316 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-023-01897-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-023-01897-9