COMPOSITION AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL FROM CYMBOPOGON NARDUS (L.) RENDLE

Authors

  • T. Kandasamy
  • B. Odhav
  • H. Baijnath

Abstract

The essential oil from the leaves, culms and rhizomes of Cymbopogon nardus were extracted and volatile oils were investigated for the first time using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS). Alpha-Cubebene, Camphene, Geraniol, Limonene, Myrcene, Palmitic acid and Sabinen were the major compounds identified . The essential oil was investigated for its antioxidant (DPPH assay), anti-inflammatory (5-lipoxygenase assay), antimicrobial (disk diffusion) and anti-mosquito properties (insecticidal, larvicidal and repellency assays). The oil showed poor antimicrobial activity and inhibited the growth of Bacillus, Micrococcus and Staphylococcus with minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.0625 (vol/vol). The oil showed antioxidant activity, scavenging more than 80% of DPPH free radicals and did not show any anti-inflammatory activity. It also showed good adulticidal activity (53.7% mortality) and excellent larvicidal (100% mortality) and repellent activity (100% repellency) against Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes which is a malarial vector. The results of this study show that the essential oil from C. nardus possesses, antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-mosquito activities which may be associated with its predominant compounds viz., α-cubebene, camphene, geraniol, limonene, myrcene, palmitic acid and sabinen. These results lead the way for exploiting C. nardus oil as a multi-functional agent.

Author Biography

T. Kandasamy

Durban University of Technology,

Published

2009-05-02

How to Cite

Kandasamy, T., Odhav, B., & Baijnath, H. (2009). COMPOSITION AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL FROM CYMBOPOGON NARDUS (L.) RENDLE. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 6, 373. Retrieved from https://journals.athmsi.org/index.php/ajtcam/article/view/741

Issue

ABSTRACTS OF THE WORLD CONGRESS ON MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS, CAPE TOWN NOVEMBER 2008

Section

Conference Abstracts

License

Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution CC.

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