Affiliation:
1. Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
2. NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy
3. Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Cinthia 6, 80100 Naples, Italy
4. Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca “Riutilizzo Bio-Based Degli Scarti da Matrici Agroalimentari” (RIVIVE), Università di Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Abstract
The genus Phagnalon Cass. (Asteraceae) is composed of widely distributed species and most of them, due to the medicinal properties they possess, are widely used in folk medicine but also as spices in the culinary field. The polar and non-polar extracts, as well as the complex mixtures of their essential oils, from several Phagnalon species and ssp., have shown antibiotic, antiviral, cytotoxic, and several other biological properties. In this work, the chemical composition and the antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and antioxidant properties of the Jordan accession of Phagnalon sinaicum Bornm. & Kneuck. essential oil (EO), an extremely rare plant that grows in ravines in the Middle East, were investigated. The EO, analyzed by GC-MS, was found to be rich in terpenoid compounds, and, in particular, in oxygenated monoterpenes, with the main compound being artemisia ketone (22.3%), followed by α-thujone (17.7%), and santolin alcohol (14.8%). The EO had good antimicrobial activity, especially against Escherichia coli Gram-negative bacterium (3 mg/mL MIC values) and was also effective in counteracting in vitro biofilm formation. Furthermore, this EO showed low cytotoxicity against immortalized human keratinocytes lines, but had good antioxidant activity on the same eukaryotic cellular models.
Funder
National Biodiversity Future Center S.c.a.r.l., Piazza Marina 61 (c/o Palazzo Steri) Palermo, Italy, C.I
Subject
Plant Science,Ecology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics