Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oil from leaves, stems and flowers of Prangos ferulacea (L

Essential oils from the leaves, stems and flowers of Prangos ferulacea (family Umbelliferae) growing in Esfahan, Iran, were obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus and their chemical composition and antibacterial activity analysed by GC-MS. All the oils consisted mainly of oxygenated monoterpenes and a small percentage of sesquiterpene compounds. In the oil from the leaf, 10 components were identified, dominated by oxygenated monoterpenes. The three major constituents identified (representing 65.1% of the oil) were linalool (36.7%), caryophyllene oxide (16.3%) and α-pinene (12.1%). In the stem oil, 11 compounds were identified, with oxygenated monoterpenes again predominating. The two major constituents identified (representing 29.3% of the oil) were 1,8-cineole (19.0%) and α-pinene (10.3%). Of the 17 compounds found in the flower oil, the five main components identified (representing 74.1% of the oil) were oxygenated monoterpenes: linalool (19.0%), lavandulyl acetate (16.0%), 1,8-cineole (14.5%), α-pinene (12.4%) and geranyl isobutyrate (12.2%). The oils were tested against four Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. Antibacterial activity was measured using a dilution method. It was found that oil from leaves, stems and flowers of P. ferulacea, and especially that of leaves, exhibited interesting antibacterial activity.