Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil and methanol extracts of Achillea millefolium subsp. millefolium Afan. (Asteraceae).
The in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the essential oil and methanol extracts of Achillea millefolium subsp. millefolium Afan. (Asteraceae) were investigated. GC-MS analysis of the essential oil resulted in the identification of 36 compounds constituting 90.8% of the total oil. Eucalyptol, camphor, alpha-terpineol, beta-pinene, and borneol were the principal components comprising 60.7% of the oil. The oil strongly reduced the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical (IC(50)=1.56 micro g/ml) and exhibited hydroxyl radical scavenging effect in the Fe(3+)-EDTA-H(2)O(2) deoxyribose system (IC(50)=2.7 micro g/ml). It also inhibited the nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation of rat liver homogenate (IC(50)=13.5 micro g/ml). The polar phase of the extract showed antioxidant activity. The oil showed antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae, Clostridium perfringens, Candida albicans, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Acinetobacter lwoffii and Candida krusei while water-insoluble parts of the methanolic extracts exhibited slight or no activity. This study confirms that the essential oil of Achillea millefolium possesses antioxidant and antimicrobial properties in vitro.
Candan
Ferda
F
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Literature, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, 58140, Turkey. candan@dumhuriyet.edu.tr
Unlu
Mehmet
M
Tepe
Bektaş
B
Daferera
Dimitra
D
Polissiou
Moschos
M
Sökmen
Atalay
A
Akpulat
H Aşkin
HA
D031162:Achillea / Q000737:chemistry*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010938:Plant Oils; D000432:Methanol