Background:
The Lamiaceae (Labiatae) is one of the most diverse and widespread plant families’ in terms of
ethno medicine and its medicinal value is based on the volatile oils concentration. This family is important for flavour,
fragrance and medicinal properties. Manyplants belonging to this family have indigenous value.
Method:
The essential oil of Plectranthus gerardianusBenth. (Lamiaceae), was analysed by GC and GC-MS analysis,
while the major component was isolated and conformed by NMR spectroscopy.
Result:
The oil was found to be rich in oxygenated monoterpenes, which contribute around 62% of the total oil. The major
components identified were fenchone (22.90%) and carvenone oxide (16.75%), besides other mono and sesquiterpenoids.
The in-vitro antimicrobial activity of essential oil was tested against three gram negative bacteria viz. Pasteurellamultocida,
Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enterica, two gram positive bacteria viz. Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and
two fungi viz. Candida albicans and Aspergillusflavus. The antimicrobial activity of the oil was also compared to the
antimicrobial activity of leaf essential oil of another Himalayan plant viz. Nepetacoerulescens.
Conclusion:
The oil showed in-vitro antimicrobial activity against all the microbial strains and can lessen the ever-growing
demand of potentially hazardous antibiotics for treatment.
In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity and the Mode of Action of Indole-3-Carbinol against Human Pathogenic Microorganisms