Composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Achillea collina Becker growing wild in western Romania

Abstract

The investigation of the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the essential oil of Achillea collina Becker growing wild in western Romania was the aim of this study. The chemical composition of the essential oil was evaluated by GC-MS. The major compounds identified were chamazulene (38.89%), germacrene D (12.90%), β-caryophyllene (11.52%) and β-pinene (10.66%). The antimicrobial activity was assessed by the diffusimetric method against seven common food-related bacteria. No effects were observed against Clostridium perfringens and Streptococcus pyogenes. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH test, the essential oil (IC50 = 25.03±0.12 μg/ml) demonstrated a stronger scavenging effect than BHA and lower than that of ascorbic acid and propyl gallate. The results reveal strong antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the essential oil tested and contribute to future research to find new sources of natural antiseptics and antioxidants: a viable and safe alternative to reduce the use of synthetic additives.