title: In vitro antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of the essential oil of Foeniculum vulgare Mill.
abstract: In our study, four samples of volatile oil from Foeniculum vulgare, cultivated in different pedoclimatic conditions, were investigated for their antimicrobial activity and chemical composition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Organisms. Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Candida albicans were included in the report. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests. The comparative inhibitory activity of volatile oil samples with other antimicrobial agents was quantitative determined by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Oil samples are the volatile oils extracted by steam distillation, from two ecological vegetative populations of Foeniculum vulgare. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine the chemical composition of the essential oils.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All oil samples have a good activity against E. coli and S. aureus at low concentrations. Against B. cereus and P. aeruginosa these oil samples are less active. The oil samples were generally bactericidal at a concentration up to twofold or fourfold higher than the MIC value. Significantly synergic activity with amoxicillin or tetracycline showed all fennel samples against E. coli, Sarcina lutea and B. subtilis strains. Fennel oil samples have shown high activity against Candida albicans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No significant antimicrobial activity variations were observed for Foeniculum vulgare volatile oil samples obtained after two or three years cultivation period. The most important identified compounds in all samples of fennel volatile oils were trans-anethole, estragole, fenchone, limonene, alpha-pinene and gamma-terpinene.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, "Gr.T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iaşi.
authors.forename: Ana Clara
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Aprotosoaie
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hăncianu
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poiată
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tuchiluş
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spac
authors.forename: Oana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cioană
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gille
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stănescu
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000187:drug effects; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D030001:Foeniculum / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile