Chemical characterisation and antibacterial activity of the essential oil of wild Angelica seeds

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to clarify the chemical composition of essential oil from seeds of Angelica (Angelica sylvestris) plants growing wild in Serbia. In the essential oil, a total of 27 compounds were detected, among which 22 compounds were identified (comprising 97.9% of all compounds), while five were unidentified (comprising 2.1%). The main components were limonene (66.6%) and alpha-pinene (19.0%), followed by camphene (1.9%), alpha-phellandrene (1.6%), bornyl acetate (1.6%), and trans-caryophyllene (1.0%), while all other compounds were present in amounts of less than 1.0%. The antibacterial effect of the essential oil of wild Angelica seeds was tested against two pathogenic bacteria that cause food poisoning, viz., Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. According to the obtained results, S. aureus was more sensitive to A. sylvestris seed oil than E. coli. The minimal inhibitory concentrations were 28.40 mu L/mL and 56.81 mu L/mL, respectively, confirming a good antibacterial activity potential of the essential oil against E. coli and S. aureus, and indicating possibilities for its application in the food and pharmaceutical industries.