Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial, Antiradical and Anticholinesterase activity of the Essential Oil of Pulicaria stephanocarpa from Soqotra

• Published in: Natural product communications 2012-01, Vol.7 (1), p.113-116
• Main Authors: Ali, Nasser A. Awadh, Crouch, Rebecca A., Al-Fatimi, Mohamed A., Arnold, Norbert, Teichert, Axel, Setzer, William N., Wessjohann, Ludger
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Cholinesterase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Free Radical Scavengers - pharmacology; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Oils, Volatile - analysis; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Pulicaria - chemistry
• ISSN: 1934-578X; 1555-9475
• DOI: 10.1177/1934578X1200700137

The chemical composition of the hydrodistilled leaf essential oil from Pulicaria stephanocarpa Balf Fil was determined by GC-MS analysis, and its antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticholinesterase (AChE) activities were evaluated. Eighty-three compounds were identified representing 97.2% of the total oil. (E)-Caryophyllene 13.4%, (E)-nerolidol 8.5%, caryophyllene oxide 8.5%, α-cadinol 8.2% spathulenol 6.8% and τ-cadinol 4.7%, were the main components. Antimicrobial activity of the oil, evaluated using the disc diffusion and broth dilution methods, demonstrated the highest susceptibility on Gram-positive bacteria and Candida albicans. The free radical scavenging ability of the oil was assessed by the DPPH assay to show antiradical activity with IC50 of 330 μg/mL. Moreover, the oil revealed an AChE inhibitory activity of 47% at a concentration of 200 μg/mL using Ellman's method.