Essential Oils Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Six Conifers Harvested in Lebanon

The chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils ( EO s) of six conifers harvested in Lebanon, Abies cilicica , Cupressus sempervirens , Juniperus excelsa , Juniperus oxycedrus , Cedrus libani and Cupressus macrocarpa gold crest, were investigated. The EO s were obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger ‐type apparatus and characterized by GC and GC / MS analyses. A principal components analysis based on Pearson correlation between essential oils chemical analyses was also conducted. The minimum inhibitory concentrations ( MIC s) of these essentials oils were determined against a range of bacteria and fungi responsible for cutaneous infections in human, using the broth microdilution technique. The EO s showed the most interesting bioactivity on the dermatophytes species ( MIC values 32 – 64 μg/ml). Each of the major compounds of C .  macrocarpa as well as an artificial reconstructed EO were tested on Trichophyton rubrum showing a contribution of the minor components to the overall activity.