Essential oils from the aerial parts of four Elsholtzia species; Elsholtzia stachyodes, Elsholtzia communis, Elsholtzia griffithii and Elsholtzia beddomei were obtained by steam distillation and their chemical components were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Principle Component Analysis was used to identify the chemical variations in the essential oils from these plants, which could be categorised into two groups according to their main chemical components which are acylfuran derivatives and oxygenated monoterpenes. Additionally, the anti-acne inducing bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis were evaluated. The oil from E. stachyodes was the most efficacious against the growth of S. aureus and S. epidermidis having MIC values of 0.78 and 1.56 μL/mL, respectively, and exhibited five times more effective than erythromycin (standard antibiotic).
Keywords: GC-MS; anti-acne inducing bacterial activity; chemical composition; essential oil.