Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from aerial parts of algerian pulicaria mauritanica

Abstract

One oil sample isolated from aerial parts of Pulicaria mauritanica Coss. from Western Algeria has been analyzed by GC(RI), GC-MS and 13C NMR. In total, 21 components, accounting for 97.0% of the oil, were identified. Then, 36 oil samples coming from plants harvested at two flowering periods in three locations were analyzed by GC(RI) and 13C NMR. Although all the oil samples exhibited similar composition, dominated by carvotanacetone (89.2-96.1%), the yield of essential oil varied drastically from sample to sample (0.35-1.44%), depending on the location of harvest. The essential oil displayed moderate antimicrobial effect against bacteria, yeast and filamentous fungi (MIC = 2-4 μL/mL).