Planta Med 2011; 77 - PE40
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1282371

Phoenix dactylifera L. essential oil: Chemical composition, antimicrobial and insecticidal activities

B Demirci 1, SI Alqasoumi 2, AJ Al Rehaily 2, MA Al Yahya 2, HS Yusufoglu 3, N Tabanca 4, DE Wedge 4, F Demirci 1, JJ Becnel 5, UR Bernier 5, KHC Başer 1, 6
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy, Anadolu University, Faculty of Pharmacy, 26470 Eskisehir, Turkey
  • 2Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • 3Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Al Kharj University, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia
  • 4USDA-ARS, Natural Products Utilization Research Unit (NPURU), Thad Cochran National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
  • 5USDA-ARS-Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, 32608 USA
  • 6King Saud University, College of Science, Botany and Microbiology Department, 11451- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L. (Arecaceae), is very common in the Arabian Peninsula. The essential oil of P. dactylifera from the spathe was obtained by hydrodistillation. The oil was subsequently analysed by GC and GC-MS, simultaneously. Overall, 16 components were characterized representing 99% of the oil. 3,4-Dimethoxytoluene (73.5%) and 2,4-dimethoxytoluene (9.5%) were found as the main components. First the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was determined using the broth microdilution method against various human pathogens, where a low inhibitory range was observed (MIC 1000µg/ml). The oil was evaluated further for antifungal activity against the strawberry anthracnose-causing fungal plant pathogens Colletotrichum acutatum, C. fragariae and C. gloeosporioides using the direct overlay bioautography assay. As a result the essential oil showed no antifungal activity at 80 and 160µg/spot concentrations compared to standard antifungal agents. In addition, the oil was subsequently investigated for its insecticidal properties against Aedes aegypti. The oil showed repellent activity against the yellow fever mosquito A. aegypti using the „cloth patch assay“ with 0.051mg/cm2, however, the oil exhibited weak activity against the mosquito's first instar larvae in a high throughput bioassay and adult topical assay. As a conclusion, the Phoenix essential oil and other fractions may have potential against parasites for further evaluation.