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Investigation of the chemical composition–antibacterial activity relationship of essential oils by chemometric methods

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Abstract

The antibacterial effects of Thymus vulgaris (Lamiaceae), Lavandula angustifolia (Lamiaceae), and Calamintha nepeta (Lamiaceae) Savi subsp. nepeta var. subisodonda (Borb.) Hayek essential oils on five different bacteria were estimated. Laboratory control strain and clinical isolates from different pathogenic media were researched by broth microdilution method, with an emphasis on a chemical composition–antibacterial activity relationship. The main constituents of thyme oil were thymol (59.95%) and p-cymene (18.34%). Linalool acetate (38.23%) and β-linalool (35.01%) were main compounds in lavender oil. C. nepeta essential oil was characterized by a high percentage of piperitone oxide (59.07%) and limonene (9.05%). Essential oils have been found to have antimicrobial activity against all tested microorganisms. Classification and comparison of essential oils on the basis of their chemical composition and antibacterial activity were made by utilization of appropriate chemometric methods. The chemical principal component analysis (PCA) and hierachical cluster analysis (HCA) separated essential oils into two groups and two sub-groups. Thyme essential oil forms separate chemical HCA group and exhibits highest antibacterial activity, similar to tetracycline. Essential oils of lavender and C. nepeta in the same chemical HCA group were classified in different groups, within antibacterial PCA and HCA analyses. Lavender oil exhibits higher antibacterial ability in comparison with C. nepeta essential oil, probably based on the concept of synergistic activity of essential oil components.

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Acknowledgment

This research was partially supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia (grant no. 171025). We thank Prof. Aldo Roda and the reviewers for critical reviews and constructive comments, which improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Bulevar dr Zorana Đinđića 81, 18000, Niš, Serbia

    Dragoljub L. Miladinović & Budimir S. Ilić

  2. Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, University of Niš, 18000, Niš, Serbia

    Tatjana M. Mihajilov-Krstev

  3. Laboratory for Geochemistry, Cosmochemistry and Astrochemistry, University of Niš, 18000, Niš, Serbia

    Nikola D. Nikolić

  4. High school “Bora Stanković”, 18000, Niš, Serbia

    Ljiljana C. Miladinović

  5. ICTM, Center of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Olga G. Cvetković

Authors
  1. Dragoljub L. Miladinović
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  2. Budimir S. Ilić
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  3. Tatjana M. Mihajilov-Krstev
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  4. Nikola D. Nikolić
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  5. Ljiljana C. Miladinović
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  6. Olga G. Cvetković
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Correspondence to Dragoljub L. Miladinović.

Additional information

Published in the special issue Euroanalysis XVI (The European Conference on Analytical Chemistry) with guest editor Slavica Ražić.

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Miladinović, D.L., Ilić, B.S., Mihajilov-Krstev, T.M. et al. Investigation of the chemical composition–antibacterial activity relationship of essential oils by chemometric methods. Anal Bioanal Chem 403, 1007–1018 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-012-5866-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-012-5866-1

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