Composition and antimicrobial activity of the leaf and twig oils of Litsea mushaensis and L. linii from Taiwan

Nat Prod Commun. 2010 Nov;5(11):1823-8.

Abstract

The hydrodistilled essential oils of the leaves and twigs of Litsea mushaensis and L. linii were analyzed. Sixty-nine and ninety compounds were identified in the leaf and twig oils, respectively, of L. mushaensis. The main components of the leaf oil were beta-eudesmol (24.2%), tau-cadinol (10.2%), alpha-humulene (10.1%), alpha-pinene (9.7%), and trans-beta-ocimene (6.5%), whereas the main components of the twig oil were trans-beta-ocimene (19.5%), alpha-pinene (12.8%) and cis-beta-ocimene (7.7%). With L. linii, 72 and 78 compounds were respectively identified in the leaf and twig oils. The main components of the leaf oil were beta-selinene (15.7%), alpha-selinene (15.5%), beta-caryophyllene (12.2%), alpha-humulene (7.2%), and delta-cadinene (5.6%), and of the twig oil trans-beta-ocimene (20.8%), beta-selinene (11.4%), alpha-cadinol (6.0%), delta-cadinene (5.8%), tau-cadinol (5.4%) and beta-eudesmol (5.2%). L. mushaensis leaf oil was shown to have excellent antimicrobial and anti-wood-decay fungal activity, superior to the other oils.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Antifungal Agents / chemistry*
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
  • Aspergillus niger / drug effects
  • Bacteria / drug effects
  • Candida albicans / drug effects
  • Litsea / chemistry*
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry*
  • Plant Oils / chemistry*
  • Taiwan

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antifungal Agents
  • Plant Oils