Screening of antibacterial compounds in Thymus vulgaris L. tincture using thin-layer chromatography—direct bioautography and liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry techniques

Abstract

In this study, thin-layer chromatography—direct bioautography (TLC—DB) was used for guiding the isolation and identification of antibacterial constituents of Thymus vulgaris L. ethanol extract. This TLC—bioassay method enables the separation and detection of active components directly on the surface of chromatographic plates. They can be identified by comparison with reference substances or using physicochemical methods, preferably spectroscopic ones (liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry [LC—MS/MS], in the presented paper). The described method belongs to the effect-directed analyses (EDA). Seven bacterial strains were used as test organisms, both pathogenic and nonpathogenic, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as well as luminescent bacteria like Aliivibrio fischeri. Five fractions with the widest antimicrobial spectra were detected using TLC—DB, isolated by semi-preparative TLC and subjected to LC—MS/MS analyses. Finally, two bioactive components were tentatively identified, basing on their fragmentation pattern, as eriodictyol and 4,4′-dihydroxy-5,5′-diisopropyl-2,2′-dimethyl-3,6-bifenylodion.