Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oil of Senecio graciliflorus
Objective: Among natural products, essential oils and their contituents represent a structurally diverse group of organic compounds with significant antibacterial activity. This study is oriented to assess the therapeutic potential of plant constituents as new antimicrobial drugs. Methods: Aerial parts of Senecio graciliflorus was steam distilled and analysed by GC and GC-MS for the volatile constituents. Essential oil was studied for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria using agar well diffusion method. Results: The results revealed that α-pinene and α-thujene are the major constituents of S. graciliflorus oil. In vitro studies showed significant antimicrobial activity against bacterial strains. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the oil significantly inhibits the growth of baceria. S. graciliflorus would be another alternative for developing new pharmaceuticals for prevention bacterial diseases and provide a direction for the study of naturally derived drugs. Keywords: Asteraceae, Senecio graciliflorus, Essential oil, α-Pinene, Antibacterial activity.