The bioactive essential oil of Heracleum sphondylium L. subsp ternatum (Velen.) Brummitt

Abstract

The essential oil of Heracleum sphondylium L. subsp. ternatum (Velen.) Brummit (Umbelliferae) was isolated from crushed seeds by means of hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Major components were identified as 1-octanol (50.3%), octyl butyrate (24.6%), and octyl acetate (7.3%). Furthermore, antimicrobial activity of the oil was evaluated using microdilution broth and agar diffusion methods. The bioactive constituent of the essential oil was determined as 1-octanol by using a bioautography assay.