Antimicrobial activity of essential oils from several Kazakhstan plants

Abstract

Antimicrobial activity of 15 essential oil samples extracted from nine Kazakhstan plant species: Artemisia kotuchovii Kupr., Artemisia scoparia Waldst. et Kit., Artemisia absinthium L., Ferula iliensis Krasn. ex Korovin, Ferula ovina (Boiss.) Boiss., Heracleum dissectum Ldb., Angelica decurrens (Ledeb.) B. Fedtsch., Thymus marschallianus Willd. and Juniperus sabina L. has been determined. Essential oils were obtained separately from various plant parts at different phases of vegetation. Essential oil from Thymus marschallianus had the highest inhibitory effect on all the strains of microorganisms tested; at 0.31 µg/ml, it completely inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. High antimicrobial activity also possessed the essential oils from roots of endemic species Ferula iliensis; at 0.31 µg/ml these essential oils completely inhibited the growth of Candida albicans, and at 2.5 µg/ml also inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Essential oil extracted from the flowers and leaves of Artemisia kotuchovii at 1.25 µg/ml inhibited the growth of all the microorganisms studied. This is the first study demonstrating the antimicrobial activity of Kazakhstan's endemic species – Ferula iliensis and Artemisia kotuchovii.