Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils from different parts of some Bupleurum L. species

The composition of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation and microdistillation from different parts of Bupleurum croceum Fenzl, Bupleurum lancifolium Hornem., Bupleurum intermedium Poiret, Bupleurum cappadocicum Boiss., Bupleurum gerardii All. and Bupleurum falcatum L. subsp. cernuum including flowers, fruits and roots were investigated by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) systems, simultaneously. The antibacterial activity of the oils which was obtained by hydrodistillation was assessed with micro-dilution assays. The main components of B. croceum were germacrene D (12.7%) in flowers, undecane (13.0%) in fruits and hexadecanoic acid (34.8%) in roots. The main components of B. lancifolium were spathulenol (15.4%) in flowers, hexacosane (13.0%) in fruits and hexadecanoic acid (13.9%) in roots. The main components of B. intermedium were methyl linoleat (21.2%) in flowers, germacrene D (25.9%) in fruits and undecane (62.8%) in roots. The main components of B. cappadocicum were heptanal (46.5%) in flowers, undecane (50.3%-23.1%) in fruits and roots. The main components of B. gerardii were undecane (36.9%-49.2%) in flowers and fruits, hexanal (21.7%) in roots. The main components of B. falcatum subsp. cernuum were alpha-pinene (41.2%-42.4%) in flowers and fruits, amyl furan (23.1%) in roots. The essential oils of B. croceum, B. lancifolium obtained from flowers and fruits, B. intermedium and B. cappadocicum from fruits used in the study did not have any effect against bacteria. The MIC values of essential oils of the roots for the bacterial strains tested, which were sensitive to the essential oils of roots of B. croceum, B. lancifolium, B. cappadocicum and B. falcatum subsp. cernuum were in the ratio of 2 mg/ml.