Abstract

Objective: To assess the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the essential oil and ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Calycotome villosa subsp. intermedia growing in the West Northern region of Algeria. Methods: Chemical composition of essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from areal parts of Calycotome villosa subsp. intermedia was investigated using gas chromatography (retention indices) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry while the antimicrobial activities were determinate by paper disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration assays tested against four bacterial strains and one yeast and antioxidant activity was evaluated as a free radical scavenging capacity (RSC). Results: Essential oils were dominated by non-terpenic compounds and fatty acids. However, the phenylpropanoids, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes components were only present in small percentages. The most important antibacterial activity of essential oil was expressed on Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhimurium. Antioxidant activity was evaluated as a RSC. RSC was assessed by measuring the scavenging activity of essential oil and ethanol extract on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH). Investigated ethanol extract reduced the DPPH radical formation (IC50=68 µg/mL). Conclusions: Results in this experiment indicate that the essential oil and the ethanol extract display antibacterial activity against two Gram-positive bacteria and activity to a lesser extent against two Gram-negative species. They may be a new potential source of components, which are likely to have impact on human health.

Authors and Affiliations