Antifungal activity of essential oils from leaves and flowers of Inula viscosa (Asteraceae) by Apulian region

Parassitologia. 2002 Dec;44(3-4):153-6.

Abstract

Some essential oils from several plants (Artemisia verlotorum, Lavandula augustifolia, Ocimum gratissimum) have proved to have acaricidal, antifungal and antibacterial activity. Inula viscosa Ait. (Asteraceae), a plant growing spontaneously in the Mediterranean area, is currently used by popular medicine for its therapeutic effects. Flavonoids, azulenes, sesquiterpenes, and essential oils have been isolated and identified from its leaves. This paper reports the results of the composition and antifungal activity in vitro against dermatophytes and Candida spp. of the four essential oils obtained by steam distillation of the leaves, flowers, whole plant and whole plants without flower extracts of I. viscosa. All the extracts proved to have a significant antifungal activity against dermatophytes even at low concentrations (0.01 mg/ml). The leaf extracts exhibited the greatest antifungal efficacy. The high concentration of the sesquiterpene (carboxyeudesmadiene), occurring in the leaf extracts, may explain its greater antifungal activity.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / isolation & purification*
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
  • Candida / drug effects*
  • Candida albicans / drug effects
  • Flowers / chemistry
  • Hot Temperature
  • Inula / chemistry*
  • Italy
  • Microsporum / drug effects*
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Plant Oils / isolation & purification
  • Plant Oils / pharmacology*
  • Sesquiterpenes / isolation & purification
  • Sesquiterpenes / pharmacology
  • Trichophyton / drug effects*
  • Water

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Plant Extracts
  • Plant Oils
  • Sesquiterpenes
  • Water