Determination of Chemical Composition, Total Phenolic, Antimicrobial, and Antioxidant Activities of Echinophora tenuifolia Essential Oil

In this study, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, total phenolic content, and essential oil composition of Echinophora tenuifolia L. subsp. sibthorpiana were investigated. The antioxidant activity of investigated essential oil was assessed by ABTS and DPPH assays. DPPH radical scavenging activity expressed by IC50 was 2.84 g/L, whereas the TEAC value determined by ABTS assay was 0.032 g TEAC/kg plant. Total phenol content of essential oil determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method was calculated as 1.32 g GAE/kg plant. The essential oil extracted by hydrodistillation (Clevenger apparatus) was investigated by GC-MS technique and 78 compounds were identified. The main components of essential oils were found to be -3-carene (17.93%), p-cymene (8.99%), methyleugenol (16.41%), and -phellandrene (9.33%). The antimicrobial activity of investigated essential oil was tested using a broth dilution method against 13 bacterial and 2 fungal microorganisms. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration of essential oil against Bacillus cereus was 62.5 g/mL while the antifungal activity was greater than 1000 g/mL for both Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cereviciae. Investigated essential oil has a certain level of antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, which may be attributed to their chemical compounds. The antimicrobial efficiency of essential oil, especially against Bacillus cereus and Staphylocoocus spp., offers its effectiveness to treatment of wound or disease caused by Gram positive bacteria.