Planta Med 2008; 74 - PI23
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1084931

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of flowers, leaves and stems of Cotinus coggygria

T Milošević 1, N Nićiforović 1, V Mihailović 1, S Solujić 1, N Vuković 1
  • 1Faculty of Science, University of Kragujevac, Radoja Domanovića 12, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia

This study was designed to examine the chemical composition and the in vitro antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Cotinus cogygria (syn: Rhus cotinus L). It has a wide distribution, which extends from Southern Europe to Central China [1]. The flora of Serbia defines two variaties of Cotinus coggygria: var. laevis with worm atropurpurea and var. arenaria [2]. In folk medicine the plant is used as antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antihaemorrhagic and against diarrhoea [3,4]. The essential oils from flowers, leaves and stems of Cotinus coggygria (Anacardiaceae) from the south Serbia (locality Rujište, the north Kosovo) were analysed by GC-MC. Thirty eight components were characterized from group of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in oil from the flowers, forty three components in oil from the leaves and twenty five components in oil from the stems. Monoterpens and sesquiterpenic hydrocarbons were the dominating chemical class in all the samples analysed. The main constituents in essential oils of flowers, leaves and stems were the monoterpenes limonene (39.5%, 6.5% and 3.39%) and α-pinene (16.0%, 15.1% and 21.9%) respectively. The inhibitory effects of the three essential oils were tested against one fungi and six bacterial species by using agar diffusion method. The oils showed high level of antimicrobial activity with wide range of inhibition zones (16–35mm). However the essential oil from the stems showed maximal inhibition zones. Particulary significant was the inhibition zone diameter observed for pure oils of flowers and leaves against K. pneumoniae (34mm, 30mm) and against S.aureus for essential oil from stems (35mm).

Acknowledgements: This work is a part of the Project No. 142025, which is supported by the Ministry of Science of Serbia

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