title: Chemosystematic value of the essential oil composition of Thuja species cultivated in Poland-antimicrobial activity.
abstract: In the framework of the correlation between chemotaxonomy and chemical analysis studies, the chemical composition of the essential oils of four varieties of Thuja species cultivated in Poland - T. occidentalis 'globosa', T. occidentalis 'aurea', T. plicata and T. plicata 'gracialis' - were investigated by GC and GC-MS. Thirty-one compounds were identified from T. occidentalis 'globosa', representing 96.92% of the total oil; twenty-seven from T. occidentalis 'aurea' (94.34%); thirty-one from T. plicata (94.75%); and thirty compounds from T. plicata 'gracialis' (96.36%). The main constituents in all samples were the monoterpene ketones alpha- and beta-thujone, fenchone and sabinene, as well as the diterpenes beyerene and rimuene. The chemosystematic value of the total ketone content of all samples (which varied from 54.30-69.18%) has been discussed and investigated. The constituents, beyerene and the mixture of alpha- and beta-thujone, were isolated from the oils and tested against six Gram-positive and -negative bacteria and three pathogenic fungi. The oils of the two T. plicata species exhibited significant antimicrobial activity, while the mixture of alpha- and beta-thujone showed very strong activity as well.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, University of Athens, Athens 15771, Greece. dtsiri@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Dimitroula
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tsiri
authors.forename: Konstantia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Graikou
authors.forename: Loretta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pobłocka-Olech
authors.forename: Miroslawa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krauze-Baranowska
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spyropoulos
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chinou
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D011044:Poland; D029783:Thuja / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D004224:Diterpenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils