Chemical, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Anti-proliferative Features of the Essential Oil Extracted from the Invasive Plant Solidago canadensis L

The essential oil from inflorescences of S. canadensis L. (Goldenrod) obtained by hidrodistillation was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and it was qualitatively and quantitatively tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. The samples were also subjected to screening for their possible antioxidant activity by using DPPH assay and the influence on intracellular ROS (reactive oxygen species). The main components identified were a-pinene, germacrene D, and limonene. The tested microbial strains proved to be susceptible to S. canadensis essential oil which exhibited good anti-biofilm activity, inhibiting the adhesion to the inert and cellular substrate, decreasing the Acinetobacter baumannii adhesion index to 17.52% and changing the adherence pattern. Goldenrod essential oil showed good free-radical scavenging activity, but it increased the production of free radicals in Hep-2 tumor cells.