Planta Med 2011; 77 - PM60
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1282818

Antimicrobial activity and characterization of some phenolic compounds of Inula peacockiana (Aitch. & Hemsl.) Krovin

A Gökbulut 1, E Şarer 1, S Günal 2
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ankara University, 06100, Tandoğan, Ankara, Turkey
  • 2Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, İnönü University, 44280, Malatya, Turkey

The genus Inula (Asteraceae) has more than one hundred species and is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and mainly in the Mediterranean region. Some of the members of this genus are used as traditional herbal remedies throughout the world due to their antitussive, expectorant, diaphoretic, bactericidal, antiinflammatory, antihepatic, antioxidant and antitumoral properties (1,2). Inula peacockiana (Aitch. & Hemsl.) Krovin is a perennial herb up to 2m and naturally growing in Iranian-Turkey region (3). There are still many Inula species which were not studied or received a little attention, and one of these species appears as I. peacockiana. In this study, antimicrobial activity of the methanol extracts of flowers, leaves and radix of I. peacockiana were determined by agar dilution method against S. aureus, E. faecalis, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, C. albicans and C. tropicalis. All parts of the plant exhibited antimicrobial activity against all the investigated bacteria and yeasts. Flower extract was seemed to be more active against Gram positive bacteria and yeasts with lower MIC values. Some phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, rutin, myricetin, quercetin, luteolin and kaempherol were investigated qualitatively and quantitatively by RP-HPLC in the methanolic extracts of the plant parts. While chlorogenic and caffeic acids were found in all the investigated parts of I. peacockiana, quercetin was found in significant amount in the flower extract. All the investigated compounds were determined in the flower extract in various amounts. Consequently, some of the antimicrobial potential of the plant could be due to the presence of the investigated phenolics.

Keywords: Inula, Antimicrobial activity, Agar dilution method, RP-HPLC

References: 1. Zhao Y-M et al. (2006) Chem Biodivers 3: 371–384.

2. Bai N et al. (2005)J Food Lip 12: 141–149.

3. Davis PH (1982) Flora of Turkey and The East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.