Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils from the leaves and rhizomes of Hedychium yunnanense Gagnep. (Zingiberaceae) collected in Vietnam

Hedychium yunnanense Gagnep., belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, has aroused much interest due to its non-volatile chemical constituents. Nevertheless, no data about essential oils (EOs) of this species is available. In this study, the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of EOs from leaves and rhizomes of H. yunnanense collected in Vietnam were analyzed. The EOs of the rhizomes and leaves were obtained as yellow oils with extraction yields of 0.21 and 0.09%, respectively. Fifty-seven chemical components, accounting for 94.35-98.92%, were identified in the two EOs. The rhizomes EO mainly contains beta-pinene (21.07%), 1,8-cineole (20.63%), alpha-pinene (8.80%) and camphene (6.35%), while the leaves EO was rich in beta-pinene (45.92%), alpha-pinene (19.48%), and beta-caryophyllene (18.26%). Both EOs exhibited more potent antimicrobial activities than the standard drug, streptomycin, as they demonstrated significantly lower minimum inhibitory concentrations against the tested bacteria and fungus. Additionally, the leaves EO may possess stronger antimicrobial activities than the rhizomes EO. The findings of the study will provide a better understanding of the chemical composition and bioactivities of H. yunnanense.