Investigation on chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil from elaeagnus angustifolia L.

Elaeagnus angustifolia L. is a plant known to be widely used in folk medicine in the world and in Türkiye. It grows naturally in our country and has a wide distribution area. Traditionally, it is known that different parts of the plant are used in the treatment of diseases such as the digestive system, respiratory system and circulatory system. In this study, the chemical composition and antimicrobial, antibiofilm activity of the essential oil of the flowering terminal branches with leaves of the E. angustifolia L. were investigated. For this purpose, the volatile compounds of flowering branch tips obtained by both hydrodistillation and Head Space/Solid Phase Micro Extraction (HS/SPME) methods were analyzed and compared. Analysis of compounds were performed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrum (GC/MS). Besides, the antimicrobial activity of essential oil was tested against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Methicylene-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 43300), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Salmonella enterica (ATCC 13311), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) and Candida albicans (isolate). Antibiofilm activity of essential oil of E. angustifolia against Methicylene-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 43300) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) were also identified. As a result of GC/MS analysis, a total of thirty-eight compounds of the essential oil (representing 92.34% of the total) and the number of volatile compounds obtained by HS/SPME were determined as thirty (representing a total of 92.4%). In the experimental findings using the HS/SPME method, palmitic acid (23.70%), elaidic acid ethyl ester (11.65%), methyllinolenate (10.87%), 1-docosanol (6.97%) and methylstearate (6.15%) were determined as the main volatile components of the of E. angustifolia on flowering aerial parts. According to our result, the essential oil has shown strong activity (at 1:1280 dilution ratio) against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans (isolate). It has been determined that the essential oil has shown antibiofilm effect against MRSA and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Keywords: Elaeagnus angustifolia, essential oil, HS/SPME, GC/MS, antimicrobial activity, antibiofilm activity