Effect of Phenological Stages on the Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Phagnalon saxatile L. Essential Oils

Introduction: The primary aim was to analyze Phagnalon saxatile essential oils at the three vegetative stages, exploring their chemical composition. Additionally, antimicrobial activity was assessed during these developmental phases.Materials and Methods: The essential oils extracted from the three phenological stages were examined using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Their antimicrobial properties were evaluated on nine reference strains using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method. This method determines the lowest concentration of the antimicrobial substance that prevents visible growth of the microorganisms in a series of dilutions.Results: The oil yield rate varied with the stage of development, with the highest concentration recorded at ۰.۰۸% (w/w) during the growth phase. Chemical analysis of the essential oils using GC and GC-MS revealed the presence of ۱۱۲ different compounds. Significant variations were noted in the main classes of compounds. Notably, hydrocarbon monoterpenes showed a significant increase from ۷.۴% at the beginning of the vegetative cycle to ۶۶.۶% during the flowering period. In contrast, non-oxygenated compounds decreased significantly from ۴۹.۶% to ۱۵.۰% and non-oxygenated hydrocarbons decreased from ۷.۵% to ۲.۶%. During the early vegetative cycle, the essential oil of P. saxatile showed a more marked antimicrobial activity against the nine bacterial strains. In contrast, at the beginning of flowering and full flowering, the essential oils exhibited less significant antimicrobial activity.Conclusions: Analyses of P. saxatile essential oils throughout its development cycle have shown promising bactericidal properties. These results could be utilized for the development of new drugs in the pharmaceutical field.

کلیدواژه ها:

Antimicrobial activity ، Phenological Phases ، Hydrocarbon Monoterpenes ، Essential oils