Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don Essential Oil from Serbia: Chemical Composition, Classification and Biological Activity—May It Be a Suitable New Crop for Serbia?

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This is an interesting work, showing the potential applicability of Helichrysum italicum. The research is well planned and realized. The results and the discussion are sound. Nevertheless, some additional revisions are needed:

1. How was the trueness of the analytical results of the essential oil verified?
2. What about the control in the case of the antimicrobial activity?
3. How many times were the analyses of the essential oil repeated (in the case of subpoints 2.7.1, 2.7.2, 2.7.3, 2.7.4)?
4. Are all the analytical results given in this work average values? What about the precision and the trueness of these results?

Author Response

The authors would like to thank the Reviewer for a quick and professional review. It is obvious that the Reviewers are experts in this field. All the Reviewers' remarks are accepted and paper is changed according to their comments. The authors believe that the changed paper would satisfy the Reviewers' criteria and that it is going to be interesting enough for publishing in the Agronomy journal.

We decided to revise manuscript according to the Reviewers' remarks, highlighting the changes directly on the revised manuscript.

 

Best regards,

Milica Aćimović

Reviewer 2 Report

The authors propose a manuscript titled “Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don essential oil from Serbia: chemical composition, classification and biological activity may it be a suitable new crop for Serbia?”. The study investigate on H. italicum essential oil (EO)in Serbia that is one of the most popular ingredients utilized by the cosmetic industry, and it is also used as natural antioxidant and as a value-added ingredient in food products. The chemical composition the EO was analyzed by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry, while the quantitative structure – retention relationship was employed to predict the retention indices of compounds acquired by GC-MS analysis, using five molecular descriptors selected by factor analysis and a genetic algorithm. Finally the antimicrobial activity, and biological activity, in vitro antihyperglycemic and anti-inflammatory capacities were evaluated.

1. Introduction

• Line 37. Helichrisum Please add the author of the genus
• Lines 40-42. The species grow also on rochy mediterranean habitat, so complete the period: “…Mediterranean species belong to the Stoechadina section [7], and italicum (Roth) G. Don (syn. H. angustifolium D.C.) is the most widespread species, and it is found on alkaline, dry, sandy and poor soil [8], or even on coastal rocks where it identifies habitats protected by the European directive [Perrino et al. 2013, European Commission 2007] .
• Lines 42-44. The author statement “However, it is characterized by a high degree of anatomical and morphological polymorphism traits and a diversity of ecotypes (add reference)”. I am perfectly agree but please add a reference for this sentence.
• Lines 45-47. Please add te author of the species when cited for the first time the scientific name. Check whole document in this way
• litoreum Guss.
• serotinum Boiss.
• …..continue
• Lines 52-54. Please complete the period in the suggested way. “Essential oil composition depends on population, altitude and climatic conditions [12], development stage (before flowering, full blossom, after flowering) [13,14], ecology and plant communities [Perrino et al. 2021], plant part (leaves or flowers) [15], extraction method [15,16], etc.

Reference to be added:

• European Commission DG Environment. Interpretation manual of European Union habitats (version EUR27). Brussels: European Commission DG Environment, 2007.
• Perrino, E.V.; Valerio, F.; Gannouchi, A.; Trani, A.; Mezzapesa, G. Ecological and Plant Community Implication on Essential Oils Composition in Useful Wild Officinal Species: A Pilot Case Study in Apulia (Italy). Plants, 2021, 10, 574. DOI: 10.3390/plants10030574
• Perrino, E.V.; Tomaselli, V., Costa, R.; Pavone P., Conservation status of habitats (Directive 92/43 EEC) of coastal and low hill belts in a mediterranean biodiversity hot spot (Gargano - Italy). Biosystems, 2013, 147, 1006-1028. DOI: 10.1080/11263504.2013.860052

2. Materials and methods

Well done, some questions

• Line 81. need to indicate the geographic system used (45°21'N; 19°35'E). WGS84? Please specify.
• Line 84. Helichrysi flos? What menas? Is a common name, I don’t understand.
• Lines 149-154. Please specify the software utilized, ANOVA?

3. Results

Well done. The Tables and figures are clear, but check the font (e.g. table 3)!

4. Discussion

Well done. Few observations

Lines 261-262. Complete with the author name:

• Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merr. & L.M.Perry
• Artemisia argyi Lév. & Vaniot
• Pulicaria somalensis Hoffm.

Lines 267-268. It’s not clear this statement “non-terpene derivatives of which β-diketones (italidiones) were reported in Italy (Tuscany) [39]”. Please clarify

5. Conclusion

A few more words on the prospects for use

Reference

Please see the guidelines of the journal and please use always the same criterion. For example the journal sometimes is in italics, other times not…https://doi… or DOI:

Author Response

The authors would like to thank the Reviewer for a quick and professional review. It is obvious that the Reviewers are experts in this field. All the Reviewers' remarks are accepted and paper is changed according to their comments. The authors believe that the changed paper would satisfy the Reviewers' criteria and that it is going to be interesting enough for publishing in the Agronomy journal.

We decided to revise manuscript according to the Reviewers' remarks, highlighting the changes directly on the revised manuscript.

 

Best regards,

Milica Aćimović

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Unfortunately, the authors have not provided any proof about reliability of the results obtained in this work, particularly in the case of GC-MS. The compounds were identified and their concentration/presence was expressed as the relative percentage. In this case, some additional measurements, related to the quality control and assurance, should be provided to assess the reliability of such methodology.

Author Response

Dear Editor and Reviewers,

Thank you very much for the review of our manuscript entitled: “Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don essential oil from Serbia: chemical composition, classification and biological activity - may it be a suitable new crop for Serbia?”.

We sincerely appreciate all valuable comments and suggestions, which helped
us to improve the quality of the article. Our responses to the Reviewers’ comment are described below in a point-to-point manner. Appropriated changes, suggested by the Reviewers, has been introduced to the manuscript (using the “Track Changes”). 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx