Volatile compounds and biological activities of aerial parts of <i>Pituranthos scoparius</i> (Coss and Dur) Schinz (Apiaceae) from Hoggar, southern Algeria

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the chemical composition as well as in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the Pituranthos scoparius essential oil.Methods: The chemical composition of a hydro-distilled essential oil of P.scoparius was analyzed by GC and GC/MS systems. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and β-carotene-linoleic acid assays while antimicrobial activity was screened using the disk diffusion method against a panel of six bacterial (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebseilla pneumonia, Agrobacterium tumefaciens) and four fungal strains (Candida albicans, Mucor sp, Aspergillus flavus, Penicilium expansum).Results: A total of 46 constituents were identified, representing 85.6 % of the oil; limonene (46.9 %) and 1,8-cineole (7.6 %) were the main components. The free radical scavenging activity of the oil was moderate with IC50 of 11.21 mg/mL. The oil showed weak to strong antimicrobial activity against all the microorganisms strains tested with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 2.000 to 0.019 mg/mL.Conclusion: These findings indicate that the essential oil of P.scoparius has a potential for use as a preservative and flavorant in processed foods.Keywords: Pituranthos scoparius, Essential oil, Antioxidant activity, Antimicrobial activity, Flavorant