Volatile profiling, elemental composition and biological activities of aerial parts of seven Poaceae species

Abstract

Chemical constituents and elemental studies of seven Poaceae species were investigated using fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) techniques. FTIR spectroscopy revealed almost similar functional groups in all species and GC-MS showed existence of maximum number (34) of compounds in Cymbopogon citratus. Hexadecanoic acid- methyl ester was present most abundantly (up to 38%) in these species. LIBS spectra indicated the presence of 16 elements and the intensity of these elements was high in Cenchrus ciliaris. Extracts were prepared in ethanol and acetone and total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC) were determined. Antioxidant activity was checked by six assays and antimicrobial activity was tested against eleven microorganisms. Among all species, C. citratus exhibited maximum antioxidant potential (51.16% and 45.71%) and also significantly inhibited the growth of tested microorganisms. Further, DNA damage assay revealed that the extracts of C. ciliaris and C. citratus effectively protected p1391Z plasmid DNA from damage caused by Fenton’s reagent. Overall, C. citratus and C. ciliaris extracts are valuable source of compounds and elements that could have applications in the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by microbial infections and oxidative damage.