Essential oil composition and antibacterial activity of Lindera nacusua (D. Don) Merr.

Abstract

This study represents the first report on the chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oils from the leaves of Lindera nacusua (D. Don) Merr. Twenty-two compounds were identified and quantified, and the major components of the oil were Caryophyllene oxide (8.79%), Hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (6.83%), β-Selinene (5.02%), Neophytadiene (4.53%), Palmitic acid (4.42%), Phytol (4.36%), α-Copaene (3.89%), 4a,5,8,8a-β-Tetrahydro-2,4,5-trimethyl-1,4-naphthalindione (3.83%), α-Cadinol (3.17%), Bulnesol (2.65%) and 1,4-Dimethyl-7-(1-methylethyl) azulene (2.38%). The in vitro antibacterial activities of the essential oils were evaluated by the disc diffusion method. The inhibition zones against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans were 23.7 and 23 mm. So the essential oil of L. nacusua showed potent antibacterial activity and potential high selectivity against S. aureus and C. albicans.

Graphical abstract

Keywords:

• Lindera nacusua
• essential oil
• GC/MS
• antibacterial activity

Acknowledgement

The authors are thankful to the members of the analytical group of Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for the GC–MS measurements.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [grant number 31200256]; the Science and Technology Support Program of Sichuan Province [grant number 2014SZ0071]; the Foundation of Science and Technology Agency of Chengdu [grant number 12DXYB228JH-002]; the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [grant number 2682014CX045].