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Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oil of Juniperus excelsa M. Bieb . Growing Wild in Lebanon
Author(s) -
Khoury Madona,
El Beyrouthy Marc,
Ouaini Naïm,
Iriti Marcello,
Eparvier Véronique,
Stien Didier
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemistry and biodiversity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1612-1880
pISSN - 1612-1872
DOI - 10.1002/cbdv.201300354
Subject(s) - antimicrobial , twig , essential oil , chemistry , monoterpene , botany , terpene , broth microdilution , food science , minimum inhibitory concentration , pinene , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry
The essential oils (EOs) isolated from the leaves and twigs of Juniperus excelsa M. Bieb . growing wild in Lebanon were characterized, and their antimicrobial activity and antiradical capacity were evaluated. The EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger ‐type apparatus and characterized by GC and GC/MS analyses. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by determining minimal inhibitory concentrations ( MIC s) against a Gram ‐positive and a Gram ‐negative bacterium, a yeast, and a dermatophyte with the broth microdilution technique. A total of 28 constituents was identified and accounted for 90.1 and 95.6% of the twig and leaf EO composition, respectively. Both EOs were essentially composed of monoterpene hydrocarbons (46.7 and 59.6% for twig and leaf EOs, resp.) and sesquiterpenes (39.4 and 32.1%, resp.). The main components were α ‐pinene, α ‐cedrol, and δ ‐car‐3‐ene. The J. excelsa EOs did not show any antiradical potential, but revealed interesting in vitro antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Trichophyton rubrum ( MIC s of 64 and 128 μg/ml, resp.). The three major compounds were tested separately and in combination according to their respective amounts in the oil. δ ‐Car‐3‐ene was the most active component and is undoubtedly one of the constituents driving the antifungal activity of J. excelsa essential oil, even though synergies are probably involved.