Interprofessional Journal of Health Sciences. Vol.13 No.1 , January - June 2015.

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF ESSENTIAL OIL FROM CURCUMA AERUGINOSA ROXB. RHIZOME

Orawan Theanphong, Withawat Mingvanish, and Chalermpol Kirdmanee

Abstract

This research work has been focused on the elucidation of chemical constituents and biological activities of essential oil hydrodistillated from the fresh rhizome of Curcuma aeruginasa.  Chemical constituents of the essential oil were analyzed by GC-MS technique.  Germacrone was found to be a major component (23.49%).  Antioxidant activities against DPPH^·, OH^·, H₂O₂^· radicals and reducing power of the essential oil were evaluated.  As compared to L-ascorbic acid as a positive control, it was found that there was no significantly statistical difference in the scavenging effectiveness toward DPPH^· and OH^· radicals between the essential oil (EC₅₀ = 24.32 and 244.48 mg/ml, respectively) and L-ascorbic acid (EC₅₀ = 21.21 and 228.24 mg/ml, respectively) while the essential oil was statistically significant less effective than L-ascorbic acid in scavenging effectiveness toward H₂O₂^·.  For reducing power assay, the essential oil showed no activity.  Results of antibacterial activity testing by agar diffusion technique showed that the essential oil has modulate activity against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 with MIC value of 6.25 mg/ml.  Tetracyclin, the positive control, exhibited stronger activity against all bacteria tested with MIC < 0.04 mg/ml.  Antimycrobacterial activity of the essential oil examined by green fluorescent protein microplate assay (GFPMA) was weaker activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (MIC value of 2500 mg/ml).  Isoniazid, the positive control, gave the MIC value of 0.023-0.046 mg/ml.

Keywords: Curcuma aeruginosa, Essential oil, Antioxidant

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