Anticandidal activity of the essential oil of Nepeta transcaucasica Grossh.

Hydrodistallation of the aerial parts of Nepeta transcaucasica Grossh. (Lamiaceae), collected in Agri, Dogubayazit Province, afforded an essential oil that was characterized by GC and GC/MS analyses. Twenty-seven compounds, representing 97.69% of the total oil composition, were identified, and 4aα,7α,7aß-nepetalactone (1; 39%), 4aα,7α,7aα-nepetalactone (2; 28%), and germacrene D (3; 15%) constituted the major components. The anticandidal effects of the oil were evaluated against seven Candida strains by using the broth microdilution method. The oil showed good inhibitory effects against C. glabrata and C. tropicalis at minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.09 and 0.375 mg/ml, respectively.