Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oil of Artemisia absinthium Asteraceae Leaves

This study reports on the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from Artemisia absinthium L. leaves AA EO collected in Brazil against a representative panel of cariogenic bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentrations MICs were determined by the broth dilution method in 96-well microplates. AA EO was inactive against most of the investigated oral pathogens, but it displayed moderate activity against Streptococcus mutans MIC = 250 mu g/mL and very promising activity against Streptococcus mitis MIC = 62.5 mu g/mL. Gas chromatography GC FID and gas chromatography mass spectrometry GC-MS revealed that camphor 1, 19.0 %, E-caryophyllene 2, 9.3 %, eucalyptol 3, 6.8 %, germacrene D 6.7 %, and alpha-cadinol 6.5 % were the major chemical constituents of AA EO. However, when tested alone, compounds 1, 2, and 3 were inactive MIC > 1000 mu g/mL against all the studied microorganisms.