Antimicrobial Activity and Main Chemical Composition of Two Smoke Condensates from Peganum harmala Seeds

• Published in: Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C. A journal of biosciences Vol. 60; no. 9; pp. 707 - 710
• Main Authors: Shahverdi, Ahmad R., Monsef-Esfahani, Hamid R., Nickavar, Bahman, Bitarafan, Lila, Khodaee, Samira, Khoshakhlagh, Narges
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Verlag der Zeitschrift für Naturforschung 01.09.2005
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - isolation & purification; Antifungal Agents - chemistry; Antifungal Agents - isolation & purification; Antimicrobial Activity; Aspergillus niger - drug effects; Bacteria - drug effects; Bacteria - growth & development; Candida albicans - drug effects; Cryptococcus neoformans - drug effects; Disinfectants - isolation & purification; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Harmine; Iran; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Peganum - chemistry; Peganum harmala; Seeds - chemistry; Smoke; Smoke - analysis; Iran
• ISSN: 0939-5075; 1865-7125
• DOI: 10.1515/znc-2005-9-1008

The smoke of Peganum harmala seeds is traditionally used in Iran as a disinfectant agent. The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of two smoke condensates from Peganum harmala seeds. Furthermore the composition of smoke preparations was studied using gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy analysis. The most prevalent compound detected in a dichloromethane extract was harmine. Standard harmine as well as the dichloromethane extract showed antimicrobial activity against all test strains. Harmine was not detected in an n-hexane extract and we did not observe antimicrobial activity from this smoke preparation at the tested concentrations.