Chemotypes of Elyonurus muticus´s essential oil: acorenone, citral and geraniol, in vitro evaluation of their antimicrobial and cytotoxical activities

SABINI L.; CORDERO GABRIELLI P.; CACCIABUE M.; ESCOBAR F.; TORRES C.; ROVERA M; DEMO M.; KOLB N

Tafi del Valle, Tucumán.

Jornada; XXIII Jornadas Científicas Organizadas por La Asociación de Biología de Tucumán; 2006

Elyonurus muticus is an aromatic grass widespread in the north of Argentina. Although this specie registers ethnobotanical antecedents only it is employed in the fragrance industries. Their essential oil (EO) was analyzed by CG-MS and it was confirmed the existence of the chemotypes: acorenone, citral and geraniol from the specimens collected in the different places in Argentina. It was possible to determine the MIC values by broth microdilution assay for all chemotypes against the bacteria: S. aureus, B. cereus, E. coli, E. faecalis, P. mirabilis and P. aeruginosa, in ranges of 14.87-248.8 mg/ml. In addition, the EO was active against six strains of Candida spp. isolated from pathological processes with MIC values from 0.087-6.219 mg/ml. Against the bacteria, in ecreasing order, citral and geraniol were more actives, inversely to the fungal strains. The correlation between MIC and MNCC, previously obtained for each chemotypes allowed calculate the Chemotherapeutical Index only for geraniol and exclusively against the fungal strains with values of 2.14-4.2.Data are promissory and support the ethnobotanical potential of Elyonurus muticus revealing a new biotechnological application of specie in the phytomedicinal area and stimulating in parallel the protection or ecological conservation of these grasslands.