Antibacterial activity and composition of essential oil of Nepeta pungens Benth. from Iran

Abstract

The oils obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh and dried aerial parts of Nepeta pungens Benth. at the flowering stage were analyzed by GC and GC-MS to investigate the variations of oil yields, oil components along with their percentages in fresh and dry stages. Fortyninecompounds (97.2%) were determined. The major compounds were geranyl acetate ( 17.0 %), limonene (12.0 %), eucalyptol (5.8 %), (bornylacetate (5.3 %), citronellal (4.9%), spathulanol (4.2%), sabinene (3.9%), β-ocimene (3.9), β-sesquiphellandrene (2.8%), nerylacetate (2.5%), a- humulene (2.4%), a-pinene(2.3%), humuleneoxide (2.2%), norsolanadione (2.1%) and terpinen-4- ol (2.0%). The yield of the oil was 1.1 (v/w) %. The essential oil showed antibacterial activity for Staphylococcus aureus.