Antifungal Properties and Chemical Analysis of Essential Oil from Vitex negundo Seeds.

ABSTRACT

Aims: To investigate the constituents and antimicrobial activity of essential oil from Vitex negundo seeds. Study Design: The essential oil of Vitex negundo seeds was prepared by hydrodistillation. GC/MS technique was used to determine the volatile constituents in the oil. A total of 13 isolates of bacteria and fungi were employed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the oil. Place and Duration of Study Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, between April 2010 and September 2010. Methodology: Essential oil from Vitex negundo seeds were obtained by hydrodistillation, with constituents analyzed by GC-MS. Antimicrobial activity of the oil was evaluated against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. Results: A total of forty-two components, representing 91.36% of the oil, were identified. n-Hexadecanoic acid (17.68%), eudesm-4(14)-en-11-ol (12.39%) and caryophyllene oxide (10.79%) were found to be the major constituents. The essential oil exhibited significant antifungal activity against Candida albicans at MIC 4.0 μg/ml. Conclusion: The essential oil of Vitex negundo seeds showed potential antifungal activity and can be of potential use in pharmaceutical fields.