Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Potential of Essential oil of Ziziphus spina-christivar. Aucheri Grown Wild in Iran

Abstract

Nowadays, medicinal plants are considered as a valuable source of natural compounds used in the development of antimicrobial and antioxidant drugs. The objectives of this study were to evaluate chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of <em>Ziziphus spina-christi</em>var<em>. Aucheri </em>(Boiss.) Qaiser & Nazim. essential oil. Essential oil was obtained by hydro-distillation using Clevenger type apparatus during approximately 3 hours and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Eleven components were identified in <em>Z. spina-christi</em>var<em>. Aucheri </em>essential oil that represented 92.14% of the oil. The main components of the oil were Carotol (42.20%), hexadecanoic acid (13.75%), linoleic acid (11.76%), vetivenic acid (9.56%) and (-)(+)valeranone (7.06%). Antioxidant activity of the essential oil was performed using 1,1-diphenyl–2– picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ribosomal degradation assay (HRS). Antimicrobial activity was investigated by micro broth dilution method. The antioxidant activity of <em>Z. aucheri</em> was IC50 = 53.91 ± 2.431 and showed only by DPPH method. The oil had antimicrobial activity in low concentrations against <em>Aspergillusniger, Penicillium digitatum </em>and <em>Klebsiella pneumonia.</em>