Phytochemical Constituents and Antimicrobial Activities of the Essential Oils of Libyan Pituranthos chloranthus on Different Species of Bacteria

Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) obtained from fresh and dry aerial parts of Libyan Pituranthos chloranthus were analyzed and isolated by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and hydro-distillation technique. The main constituents of the EOs obtained from fresh herb of P. chloranthus were found to be α-pinene, sabinene, cis-β-ocimene, and myrcene whereas the major components of the EOs derived from dry herb of P. chloranthus were α-phellandrene, Δ-3-carene, and β-phellandrene. Minor changes in the phytochemical compositions of the P. chloranthus EOs obtained from fresh or dry herbs; however, the major constituents were found to be α-pinene, sabinene, cis-β-ocimene, myrcene, α- phellandrene, Δ-3-carene, and β-phellandrene with approximate amounts of p-cymene, limonene, trans-β-ocimene, γ-terpinene, and cis-verbenol. The paper-disc agar diffusion method was used to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of P. chloranthus, and the results showed that the EOs extracted from fresh herb had a significant inhibitory effect against most of the tested bacteria.