Deodorant Effect of Extracts from Wild Grasses against Methanethiol

Abstract

Methanol extracts of 42 species of wild grass were assessed for their methanethiol trapping activity by head-space gas chromatography to search for new active deodorant components. Extracts of 14 species, each added at 5mg, were more active than sodium copper chlorophyllin (SCC), which is commonly used as an oral deodorizer. In particular, plumed thistle (Cirsium borealinipponense), beach wormwood (Artemisia capillaris), American false daisy (Eclipta prostrata), daisy fleabane (Erigeron annuus), ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), eyebane (Euphorbia maculata), and cinquefoil (Potentilla fragarioides) showed a 100% deodorant effect. Among them, American false daisy, plumed thistle, spotted spurge and beach wormwood exhibited activities 24, 14, 7, and 6 times stronger than that of SCC, respectively. As none of these plants have been reported previously to have deodorization properties, it is expected that they will be good sources of deodorizer, and also that their active principles will be isolated and identified.