Analysis of the Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oil from Lippia triplinervis Gardner (Verbenaceae)

The chemical composition of the essential oil from Lippia triplinervis (Verbenaceae), as well as its antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans and other clinical isolates, was analyzed. The major compounds identified in the oil obtained in April 2010 were myrcene (2.6%), ipsenone (11.4%), myrcenone (57.7%), (Z)-ocimenone (1.3%) and (E)- calamenene (4.8%). The essential oil of this same plant collected in September 2010, showed a quite similar chemical composition, but the relative percentage of myrcenone was reduced from 57.7% to 13.5%, whereas limonene (8.0%), (E)-tagetone (2.0%) and (Z)-tagetone (19.4%) were now major constituents of this oil. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) activity against C. albicans as well as other clinical isolates (C. glabrata, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis) ranged from 156 to 1,250 μg/mL. This is the first report of the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of L. triplinervis essential oil.