Chemical composition and antimicrobial potential of essential oil of Artemisia dracunculus L., cultivated at high altitude Armenian landscape Biology

Abstract

The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry setup was used to reveal the chemical composition of essential oil (EO) of A. dracunculus cultivated at the altitude of 1700–1800 m above sea level (Aragyugh, Armenia) and harvested during the blossoming period (July, 2015). Estragol (methyl chavicol) in EO reached 84.9%. The other components were linalool (5.09%), trans-beta-ocimen (4.00%), limonene (1.63%), (Z,E)-alloocimene (2.29%), 3-caren (0.81%) and beta-ocimen (0.61%). Antimicrobial activity of EO from A. dracunculus L. was determined by agar diffusion method. Gram-positive, gram-negative and ampicillinresistant bacteria, as well as some yeasts were tested. The concentrations of EO from 1.5625 to 150 mg/mL were used. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of A. dracunculus EO was 6.25 mg/mL against St. aureus and B. subtilis. MIC value against E. coli VKPM-M17 was 50 mg/mL, but P. aeruginosa was less susceptible to EO components and MIC value reached 150 mg/mL. The antibiotic resistant E. coli dhpα-pUCl8 strain possessed high sensitivity against the ЕО with 6.25 mg/mL MIC value. The action of ЕО was bactericidal. Tested yeasts were more susceptible against oil component, MIC=1.56 mg/mL. The obtained results show that A. dracunculus EO can be useful for cosmetics, medicine and food as antimicrobial natural agent.