Chemical composition and antifungal activity of the essential oil of Douglas fir (Pseudosuga menziesii Mirb. Franco) from Serbia

Abstract

The chemical composition of the essential oil of fresh young needles with twigs of Douglas fir (Pseudosuga menziesii Mirb. Franco) obtained by hydrodistillation were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Ten compounds, accounting for 94.26 % of the oil, were identified. The main compounds found were bornyl acetate (34.65 %), camphene (29.82 %), a-pinene (11.65 %) and santene (5.45 %). The antifungal activity of the essential oil was tested against various fungal species. The minimum inhibitory concentration of Douglas fir essential oil ranged from 1.5 to 4 µg mL-1. The fungi most sensitive to the tested oil were Phomopsis helianthi, while Penicillium species, along with Microsporum canis, were the most resistant. Compared to the commercial fungicidal agent bifonazole, the studied essential oil demonstrated higher antifungal activity.

Keywords

• antifungal activity
• bornyl acetate
• Douglas fir
• essential oil