title: Antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of the essential oil of Nepeta crispa Willd. from Iran.
abstract: The composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Nepeta crispa Willd., an endemic species from Iran, was studied. The oil was obtained from the aerial parts of the plant and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Twenty-three compounds, accounting for 99.8% of the total oil, were identified. The main constituents were 1,8-cineol (47.9%) and 4aalpha,7alpha,7abetanepetalactone (20.3%). The antimicrobial activity of essential oil of N. crispa was tested against seven gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria and four fungi. The results of the bioassays showed the interesting antimicrobial activity, in which the gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, were the most sensitive to the oil. Also, the oil exhibited a remarkable antifungal activity against all the tested fungi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Medicinal Plants Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Evin, P. O. Box 198 35-3 89, Tehran, Iran. a-sonboli@sbu.ac.ir
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sonboli
authors.forename: Peyman
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salehi
authors.forename: Morteza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yousefzadi
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D007194:India; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D027521:Nepeta / Q000737:chemistry*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile