Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil of Ferula szovitsiana D.C

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from stem/leaves and flowers/fruits of Ferula szovitsiana (Umbelliferae) were analysed by GC and GC–MS. The composition of the oils samples from stem/leaves and flower/fruits were compared: 51 and 47 compounds were identified in the essential oils of stem/leaves and flowers/fruits, representing 97.7% and 95.9% of the total oils, respectively. Both essential oils were rich in monoterpenes (66.7% and 62.1%, respectively) with neryl acetate as major component (33.0% and 41.5%, respectively). Other abundant compounds for stem/leaves oil were β‐caryophyllene (8.9%), α‐pinene (8.0%), β‐pinene (6.7%), bicyclogermacrene (4.5%), caryophyllene oxide (4.1%), limonene (4.6%) and α‐terpineol (3.2%). These values for flowers/fruits oil were bicyclogermacrene (9.0%), α‐pinene (5.5%), β‐pinene (3.9%), γ‐cadinene (3.5%), and calarene (3.2%). Furthermore, the oils were tested against Gram‐positive, Gram‐negative bacteria and two pathogenic fungi. It was found that oil from F. szovitsiana represents the most potent antimicrobial candidates with MIC of 1.25 mg/disk for Bacillus subtilis. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.