Biological Activity and Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil from Chromolaena laevigata (Lam.) R.M. King & H. Rob. (Asteraceae) from Loja, Ecuador.

The chemical composition, antifungal and antibacterial activity of essential oils isolated by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts ofChromolaena laevigata(Asteraceae) growing wild in Ecuador, were evaluated. The chemical composition was analyzed by Gas chromatography/Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC/Flame ionization detector (GC/FID). Twenty-five volatile components were identify in essential oils, corresponding to 96.13 % of the total oils. Essential oils was rich in laevigatin (46.84 %), germacrene D (15. 38 %), viridiflorol (11.37 %), bicyclogermacrene (4.14 %), limonene (4.94 %) and α-pinene (2.85 %). The antibacterial and antifungal activities were studied by the broth microdilution method. The antibacterial activity was tested against Gram-negative bacterial strains [Pseudomonas aeruginosa(ATCC 27853),Klebsiella pneumoniae(ATCC 9997),Proteus vulgaris(ATCC 8427),Escherichia coli(ATCC 25922) andSalmonella typhimurium(LT2)] and Gram-positive bacterial strains [Enterococcus faecalis(ATCC 29212) andStaphylococcus aureus(ATCC 25923)] and antifungal activity was determined againstTrichophyton rubrum(ATCC 28188) andTrichophyton mentagrophytes(ATCC 28185). The essential oil fromC. laevigataexhibited activity againstTrichophyton rubrum(ATCC 28188) andTrichophyton mentagrophytes(ATCC 28185). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]