Solidago virgaurea L.: Chemical composition, antibacterial, and antileishmanial activity of essential oil from aerial part

Solidago virgaurea L. popularly called Goldenrod is a member of the Asteraceae family. S. virgaurea sample were obtained from Binsar, Almora (Indian state of Uttarakhand). The essential oil from the aerial part was distilled out using steam distillation, and GC and GC-MS were employed for analysis. A total of 27 constituents from aerial part were identified constituting 92.92% of total oil composition. The aerial parts of S. virgaurea were found to contain limonene (25.57%), alpha-humulene (12.19%), linalool oxide (8.65%), benzyl salicylate (6.40%), 1,4-cineole (6.22%) and humulene epoxide (II) (5.93%). The antibacterial activity of this essential oil was studied using disk diffusion and broth microdilution methods on five human pathogen bacteria and six plant pathogenic bacteria. There was moderate to good antibacterial activity in the oil sample extracted from the entire aerial portion of the plant. We did the antileishmanial activity of essential oils with Leishmania donovani (Dd(8)) promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. EO was safer on the J774.A1 macrophages and lethal to promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes at different concentrations (10, 50, and 100 mu g/ mL). These findings support the traditional uses of S. virgaurea and suggest its potential as a natural remedy for bacterial infections and leishmaniasis.