Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) is a coniferous plant that possesses different biological properties such as antiseptic, antioxidant, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory. This study investigated the chemical constituents and in vitro antibacterial activities of essential oil (EO) of Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) against thirteen bacterial species using Gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry (GC/MS) and standard agar well diffusion assay. The EO exhibited excellent antibacterial activity inhibiting all the bacterial isolates tested with the diameter zone of inhibitions (Zi) ranging from 8–24 mm. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) ranged between 0.025mg/ml and 25.000mg/ml. The highest antibacterial activity was recorded against Micrococcus luteus NCIB 196 and Klebsiella pneumonia NCIB 418 (Zi = 24 mm), while the lowest activity was recorded against Proteus vulgaris (Zi = 8 mm). The GC/MS analysis revealed the presence of 30 chemical compounds, of which seven possess antibacterial properties. These include three oxygenated monoterpenes (α-terpineol, borneol, and fenchol), two sesquiterpenes (caryophyllene and δ-cadinene), one saturated fatty acid (palmitic acid) and monounsaturated fatty acid (oleic acids). Therefore, the results suggest the potential of P. sylvestris as an antimicrobial agent for incorporation in the treatment of pathogens.
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