Antimicrobial Activities of Extracts and Isolated Coumarins from the Roots of Four <i>Ferulago</i> Species Growing in Turkey.

Abstract

<i>Ferulago</i> species have been utilized since ancient times as digestive, sedative, aphrodisiac, along with in salads or as a spice due to their special odors. The study reports isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds of <i>Ferulago pachyloba (F. pachyloba)</i>, <i>Ferulago trachycarpa (F. trachycarpa),</i> <i>Ferulago bracteata</i> (<i>F. bracteata)</i>, and <i>Ferulago blancheana</i> (<i>F. blancheana)</i> via bioassay guided fractionation and isolation process. The structures of compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analyses. They were also assessed for their activities at 1000-31.25 µg/mL concentrations by microbroth-dilution methods. Antimicrobial activity of aqueous, methanol extracts and dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, <i>n</i>-butanol and aqueous residue fractions of methanol extracts from aerial parts and roots of species along with isolated compounds [osthole, imperatorin, bergapten, prantschimgin, peucedanol-2'-benzoate, grandivitinol, suberosin, xanthotoxin, felamidin, marmesin, umbelliferone, ulopterol and a sterol mixture consisted of stigmasterol, <i>β</i>-sitosterol] were evaluated. Antimicrobial effect has been seen against Gram-negative, Gram-positive bacteria, and a yeast <i>C. albicans</i> at a concentration between 31.25 and 62.5 μg/mL. Especially, <i>C. albicans</i> (MIC = 31.25 μg/mL) was the most inhibited microorganism. Moreover, growth of <i>P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis</i>, <i>E. coli</i>, and <i>S. aureus</i> were inhibited at 62.5 μg/mL MIC values. Among tested samples prantschimgin and dichloromethane fraction of aerial parts from <i>F. pachyloba</i> showed the best activity against <i>C. albicans</i> (MIC = 31.25 μg/mL). However, among aqueous extracts and residue fractions, only <i>F. blancheana</i> aerial parts, <i>F. trachycarpa</i> aerial parts, and roots and <i>F. bracteata</i> roots showed activity against <i>C. albicans</i>. Among microorganisms <i>E. coli</i> was found to be the least affected.