JOURNAL of the Tunisian Chemical Society

The chemical composition of essential oils extracted from different fresh parts of Ruta chalepensis: flowers, leaves and stems, was analysed using GC and GC-MS. Fifty three components were identified in the oil of each organ. Ketones occurred as the major constituent of the three organs volatile oils while nonan-2-one was the most notably dominating compound in stems essential oil and undecan-2-one was the major compound in flowers and leaves essential oils. The antimicrobial activity of the indicated volatile fractions was screened against eight bacterial species: Staphylococcus epidermidis CIP 106510, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Micrococcus luteus NCIMB 8166, Escherichia coli ATCC 35218, Salmonella thyphymerium LT2, Listeria monocytogenese ATCC 19115 and Enterococcus faecium 29212 using both disc diffusion and dilution methods. Their antifungal activity was tested against nine fungal species Aspergillus niger (onion), Alternaria solani (potato), Penicillium digitatum (orange), Botrytis cinerea (tomato), Fusarium sambucium (potato), Fusarium solani (potato), Trichoderma harzianum T₁ (soil), Trichoderma viride T_V (soil) and Fusarium oxysporum F₃₃ (potato). So that leaves essential oil was more active than stems and flowers ones, it shows an important antifungal activity against Trichodrema viride T_V. In addition, antimicrobial effects of previously prepared essential oils have been investigated against fifteen Candida species. Thus, all volatile fractions presented significant effects against Candida albicans ATCC 90028.

E. Ben Bnina, S. Hammami, M. Daamii-remadi, H. Ben Jannet, Z. Mighri

Ruta chalepensis, Essential oil, Chemical composition, GC and GC-MS, Antibacterial and Antifungal activities

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