Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Geranium columbinum L. and G. lucidum L. (Geraniaceae)

Abstract

The chemistry of Geranium columbinum and G. lucidum volatiles has been studied here for the first time. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation, analyzed by GC and GC-MS, and screened for their in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity in a microdilution assay. In total, 172 constituents were identified, accounting for 88.1%-96.7% of the detected GC peak areas. The essential oils consisted mainly of fatty acids and fatty acid-derived compounds (65.0%-86.3%). The major compounds of the essential oils were hexadecanoic acid, hexahydrofarnesyl acetone, and tetracosane. The antimicrobial assay showed a strong activity of the oil from aerial parts of G. columbinum against the pathogenic yeast C. albicans (MIC = 0.437, MBC = 1.75 mg/mL). © TÜBİTAK.