Volatile Oils from the Root, Stem and Leaves of Schefflera stellata (Gaertn.) Harms (Araliaceae): Chemical Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity

Abstract

Volatile oils from the roots, stem and leaves of Schefflera stellata (Gaertn.) Harms were isolated by hydrodistillation and characterized by analytical gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Sixty-nine (98.3%), seventy-eight (97.9%) and sixty-seven (98.0%) constituents were identified from the root, stem and leaf oils, respectively. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were the most abundant compounds in the root (73.8%), stem (68.8%) and leaf (63.4%) oils, followed by oxygenated sesquiterpenes, monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes. β-Caryophyllene (11.1–19.2%), α-humulene (7.3–15.4%), germacrene D (3.3–14.4%), germacrene B (8.3–21.7%) and epi-α-cadinol (5.6–15.0%) were the major constituents in these oils. Antimicrobial activity of the leaf oil was tested by the disc diffusion technique. The leaf oil showed good antifungal activity against Candida albicans and C. glabrata, but the antibacterial activity of the leaf oil was very low.

Key Word Index:

• Schefflera stellata
• Araliaceae
• essential oil composition
• β-caryophyllene
• α-humulene
• germacrene D
• germacrene B
• epi-α-cadinol
• antimicrobial activity