Chemical composition and in vitro antibacterial activity of essential oils from Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack (Rutaceae) ripe and unripe fruits against bacterial genera Mycobacterium and Streptococcus

Abstract

This study aims to investigate chemical composition of essential oils from Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack (Rutaceae) ripe and unripe fruits and determine their in vitro antibacterial activity. Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation from Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack ripe and unripe fruits collected in the Cerrado, in Rio Verde, southwestern Goiás, Brazil. They were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Sesquiterpenes, which represent the most abundant class of compounds in oils, predominated in both ripe and unripe fruits. Major constituents of essential oils extracted from ripe fruits (RF-EO) were β-caryophyllene (21.3%), α-ylangene (13.3%), germacrene-D (10.9%) and α-zingiberene (9.7%) whereas the ones of unripe fruits (UF-EO) were sesquithujene (25.0%), α-zingiberene (18.2%), germacrene-D (13.1%) and α-copaene (12.7%). In vitro antibacterial activity of essential oils was evaluated in terms of its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values by the broth microdilution method in 96-well microplates. Both essential oils under investigation showed moderate anti-streptococcal activity against the following bacteria: Streptococcus mutans, S. mitis, S. sanguinis, S. sobrinus and S. salivarius. MIC values ranged between 100 and 400 µg/mL. Regarding the antimycobacterial activity, essential oils from M. paniculata (L.) Jack unripe and ripe fruits were active against Mycobacterium kansasii (MIC = 250 µg/mL), moderately active against M. tuberculosis (MIC = 500 µg/mL) and inactive against M. avium (MIC = 2000 µg/mL). This study was pioneer in revealing similar chemical profiles of both essential oils extracted from Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack unripe and ripe fruits, besides describing their in vitro anti-streptococcal and antimycobacterial activities.

A comprehensive review of the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of Murrayae Folium et Cacumen

“…Four-hundred and four volatile oils ( 317 – 711 , Supplementary Table S ) have been isolated from MFC ( Pino et al, 2006 ; Raina et al, 2006 ; Krishnamoorthy et al, 2015 ; Silva et al, 2020 ; Saikia et al, 2021 ). The major volatile organic compounds dominated by benzenoids, sesquiterpenes, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, coumarins, and phenylethanoids in hydrodistillation and pentane, n -hexane, and dichloromethane extracts using GC-MS and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID).…”

“…Most of the volatile oils were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (80%); the major compound was caryophyllene (20.93%). Silva et al (2020) reported that volatile oils were also effective against Mycobacterium kansasii (MIC 50 = 250 μg/mL) and moderately active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, demonstrating anti-streptococcal and anti-mycobacterial activities (MIC 50 = 500 μg/mL). GC-FID and GC-MS were used to analyze the volatile oils of M. paniculata leaves using hydrodistillation.…”