Essential Oil Composition and Antimicrobial Activities of Egyptian Kurrat (Allium kurrat)

Abstract

Essential oil (EO) of Egyptian kurrat leaves was investigated by GC and GC/MS. Twenty-three components were identified. The major components were α-cadinol (21.5 - 23.3 %), δ-cadinene (17.0 - 17.2 %), τ-muurolol (8.9 - 9.2 %), β-humulene (8.4 - 9.0 %), cis-calamenene (6.6 - 8.7 %), germacrene D (6.2 - 6.6 %), α-copaene (5.8 - 7.4 %) and α-caryophyllene (4.0 - 4.5 %). All detected components belonged to sesquiterpenes. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (SCH) was the major group (63.4 - 64.0 %) and the oxygenated sesquiterpenes (SCHO) formed the minor one (35.3 - 35.8 %). EO had strong antimicrobial activities against four pathogenic strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi).

Key words:

• Antimicrobial
• α-cadinol
• Egyptian kurrat
• essential oil
• sesquiterpenes