Investigation of sweetgum (Liquidambar orientalis Miller) chemistry of essential components and biological activities

Oriental sweetgum or Turkish sweetgum balsam is generally evaluated from medically and technically. In medicine, it is used to treat of wounds, asthma, bronchitis, upper respiratory tract diseases, such as fumigation and an expectorant in the form of powder and pastille, skin diseases like scabies and fungal in the form of pomade and plaster. Sweetgum balsam is antiseptic and parasiticide. In addition, it is evaluated to be pain-killers for ulcer disease.In this present study, the essential oil of sweetgum balsam was obtained by hydro distillation. Composition of the essential oil and volatile components which were obtained by the solid phase microextraction (SPME) method were determined by using Gas Chromatography (GC) and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). This study was aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of the essential oil and balsam. Anti-inflammatory activities were investigated by in vitro lipoxygenase (LOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme inhibition methods. In addition, antimicrobial effect of essential oil was examined on Helicobacter pylori with agar dilution method.Inflammation is a direct response to be one of the mechanisms to protect the organism against dangerous and harmful internal and external stimuli. In inflammation, variety cells and mediators play role. Inflammation is one of the most important health problem and in almost every branch of medicine are closely related. Anti-inflammatory activity suppress inflammatory reaction unlike other mediators. Although there are natural anti-inflammatory mediators in the body, many active ingredient which are taken from outside, have anti-inflammatory effect. These substances show anti-inflammatory activity by reducing the synthesis of inflammation mediators.In result of GC and GC/MS analysis of the essential oil, the main compounds were determined as styrene (84.6%), ?-pinene (8.3%) and ß-pinene (2.1%), balsam volatile components were identified as styrene (75.0%), benzene propanol (9.5%) and 4-ethyl phenol (4.5%) by SPME method. In results of enzyme activity assays, essential oil showed anti-inflammatory activity with weak-medium effect and LOX inhibition IC50 value was calculated as 50.33±3.22 ?g/mL. Balsam and essential oil didn?t inhibit COX in the 200 ?g/ml concentrations. Essential oil wasn?t showed the effect of anti-Helicobacter pylori by agar dilution method in the 2222.2 ?g/ml concentration.Keywords: Liquidambar orientalis, essential oil, balsam, anti-inflammatory, lipoxygenase (LOX), cyclooxygenase (COX), Helicobacter pylori.