chemical composition and antibacterial activities of the essential oil and extract of cirsium congestum

Medicinal plants are considered as valuable natural sources. in this study, the antibacterial properties of cirsium congestum essential oil and methanolic extract were investigated against escherichia coli, bacillus cereus, staphylococcus aureus, candida albicans and klebsiella pneumonia. the results of agar disc-diffusion method showed that essential oil and extract exhibited maximum and minimum inhibition zone diameter against candida albicans and escherichia coli respectively. minimum inhibitory concentration (mic) of essential oil and methanolic extract observed for staphylococcus aureus, escherichia coli, bacillus cereus, candida albicans and klebsiella pneumoniae respectively. lowest mic related to candida albicans. cirsium congestum essential oil had higher antibacterial activity in comparison with the extract. the chemical composition of the cirsium congestum essential oil was analysed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (gc–ms). twenty-six compounds representing 99.98% of the total essential oil was identified. the results showed sescoe turpen hydrocarbons and imidazole 4- propionic acid were the major compounds in cirsium congestum essential oil.