Antibacterial activity and the variation of Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz Bip. essential oils from Turkey.

Water-distilled essential oils from herbal parts of Tanacetum parthenium from two different localities in Turkey were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The essential oil of T. parthenium collected from Davutpasa-Istanbul location were characterized with camphor 49%, trans-chrysanthenyl acetate 22.1% and camphene 9.4%. Second plant sample is collected from the remote east end of the country Savşat-Ardahan location. The essential oil from this location was characterized with camphor 60.8% and camphene 6.8%. Unlike the former this sample contains trans-chrysanthenyl acetate in trace amount and cis- chrysanthenyl acetate in very small amount (0.6%) which is not present in the first sample. Antibacterial activity of the oils were evaluated for five Gram (+) and five Gram (-) bacteria by using a broth microdilution assay. The highest activity was observed on Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S.aureus however when compared with positive control oils showed higher MIC values. The oil of Istanbul-sample showed highest activity on B. subtilis (125 microg/mL) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (125 microg/mL) which is two fold concentration when compared with the positive control chloramphenicol (62.5 microg/mL). The oil of Ardahan sample showed the highest activity on S. aureus (125 microg/mL) which is likewise two fold concentration of the positive control chloramphenicol (62.5 microg/mL). DPPH scavenging activity was 59.3% of the oil from Davutpasa at 15 mg/mL concentration. When compared to positive control alpha-tocopherol (94.6%) Savşat oil (28.2%) showed low and Davutpasa oil showed medium DPPH scavenging activity. All of the oils showed toxicity to Vibrio fischeri in the TLC-bioluminescence assay.