Composition and Some Biological Activities of the Essential Oils from an African Pasture Grass: Elionurus elegans Kunth

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 50; no. 15; pp. 4240 - 4243
• Main Authors: Mevy, Jean Philippe, Bessiere, Jean-Marie, Dherbomez, Michel, Viano, Josette
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 17.07.2002
• Subjects: Antioxidants - pharmacology; Candida albicans - drug effects; Candida albicans - growth & development; Enterococcus - drug effects; Enterococcus - growth & development; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Oils, Volatile - chemistry; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Oils - chemistry; Plant Roots - chemistry; Poaceae - chemistry; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - drug effects; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - growth & development; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus - growth & development; Terpenes - analysis
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf0115140

The volatile oils of the aerial parts and roots from a pasture plant, Elionurus elegans, were studied by GC-MS analyses. Both organs studied contained only terpenic constituents. The main components found in the extract essential oils of the aerial parts were campherenone (43.0%), caryophyllene oxide (4.9%), and bisabolone (4.9%), whereas those found in the root essential oils were campherenone (39.0%), epi-β-santalene (12.0%), and caryophyllene oxide (4.6%). Furthermore, the oils were tested for antibacterial and antifungal activities. The results obtained led to a nonsignificant inhibitory effect, although an increase of the lag stage was shown for the kinetics growth of Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Enterococcus hirae, and Staphylococcus aureus. When α-tocopherol is used as a control, the antioxidant activities of the oils obtained from the aerial parts and roots were 30 and 46% IC50, respectively. Keywords: Elionurus elegans; Gramineae; essential oils; campherenone; GC-MS; antibacterial and antifungal activities; antioxidant