Antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Aloysia triphylla (L`Her.) Britton from different regions of Argentina

OLIVA, M. DE LAS M., BELTRAMINO, E., GALLUCCI, N., CASERO, C., ZYGADLO, J., DEMO, M.

BOLETíN LATINOAMERICANO Y DEL CARIBE DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES Y AROMáTICAS

SOC FITOQUIMICA LATINOAMERICANA

Año: 2010 p. 29 - 37

0717-7917

The interest in the study of natural antimicrobial compounds as an alternative form for health care and for the preservation of foods is increasing. Essential oils are known to exert antimicrobial activity. Differences in the chemical composition of them influence these properties. This work intends to study the variability of chemical composition and the antimicrobial activity of EOs obtained from samples of A. triphylla collected from different regions. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed with a GC-MS. The antimicrobial studies were carried out by the paper disc diffusion method. Statistical analysis was performed. The EOs samples shared common terpenic components limonene, neral, geranial, espathulenol and cariophyllene oxide, but there were chemical differences in the quantity and quality of them. The EO from La Paz showed the highest citral/limonene relation (16.9) and Las Viñas the least relation (0.73). Yeasts resulted to be the most sensitive microorganisms to the effect of the EOs, followed by the Gram positive bacteria and lastly the Gram negative ones. The EOs from La Paz showed the best antimicrobial activity. The statistical analyses showed significative differences. The differences in the biological activity of each A. triphylla EOs could be attributed to the quantity and quality of the terpenic composition and the possible associations between them. In addition, it could be deduced that the antimicrobial activity is not only dependent on the quality and quantity of the EOs but, on the particular sensibility of each particular strain.