Abstract

DITERPENE RICH ESSENTIAL OIL FROM ANISOMELES INDICA (L.) O. KUNTZ. AND ITS ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

Anand B. Melkani,* Lalit Mohan and Charu C. Pant

Abstract

The chemical analysis of the essential oil from Anisomeles indica (L.) O. Kuntz (Lamiaceae) collected from Central Himalayan region was performed using GC and GC-MS. The oil was found to be rich in oxygenated diterpenes and diterpene hydrocarbons (54.7%). Total forty three compounds were identified representing 88.1% of the oil. Abietadiene (20.5%), β-caryophyllene (8.8%), (E,E)-α-farnesene (5.5%), linoleic acid (8.7%), trans-ferruginol (8.1%) and abietol (6.1%) were identified to be the major constituents. The microbial growth inhibitory property of the oil was determined against ten bacterial, three fungal strains and the oil showed significant activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Staphylococcus aureus, Pasteurella multocida and Aspergillus flavus.

Keywords: Anisomeles indica, Lamiaceae, Essential oil composition, abietadiene, ?- caryophyllene, linoleic acid, antimirobial activity.