The antimicrobial activity and essential oil constituents of the leaves and trunks of Aquilaria banaensis P.H.Hô (Thymelaeceae) from Vietnam

Abstract

The aim of the present paper was to report the chemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of essential hydrodistilled from the leaves and trunk of Aquilaria banaensis P.H.Hô (Thymelaeceae) from Vietnam. The essential oils were analysed comprehensively for their constituents by using Gas chromatography coupled with Mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The antimicrobial activity was determined by agar well diffusion and broth microdilution methods. The leaf essential oil comprised mainly of sesquiterpenes while fatty acids constitutes the bulk of the trunk essential oil. The main constituents of the leaf essential oil were β-caryophyllene (17.11%), α-selinene (10.99%), α-humulene (8.98%), β-selinene (8.01%), β-guaiol (6.69%) and β-elemene (5.65%). However, hexadecanoic acid (48.46%), oleic acid (19.80%) and tetradecanoic acid (5.32%) were the major compounds identified in the trunk essential oil. The trunk essential oil displayed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of about 256.0 µg/mL.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Aquilaria banaensis
• monoterpenes
• sesquiterpenes
• fatty acids
• antimicrobial activity

Acknowledgements

This research was facilitated by grants (#169430, #194004) from the Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development (R4D Programme) co-funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was facilitated by grants (#169430, #194004) from the Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development (R4D Programme) co-funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).