CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF ESSENTIAL OIL FROM WEDELIA PROSTRATA

The following study deals with the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Wedelia prostrata and their main constituents in vitro. A total of 70 components representing 99.26 % of the total oil were identified. The main compounds in the oil were limonene (11.38 %) and alpha-pinene (10.74 %). Antioxidant assays (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, superoxide anion radical, and reducing power test) demonstrate moderate activities for the essential oil and its main components (limonene and alpha-pinene). The essential oil (1000 mu g/disc) exhibited promising antimicrobial activity against 10 strains of test microorganisms as a diameter of zones of inhibition (20.8 to 22.2 mm) and MIC values (125 to 250 mu g/ml). The activities of limonene and alpha-pinene were also determined as main components of the oil. alpha-Pinene showed higher antimicrobial activity than the essential oil with a diameter of zones of inhibition (20.7 to 22.3 mm) and MIC values (62.5 to 125 mu g/ml). The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the essential oil may be attributed to the synergistic effects of its diverse major and minor components.