Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of the Essential Oil Isolated From Flos Lonicerae (Flower Buds of Lonicera macranthoides Hand.-Mazz.)

Flos Lonicerae (FL, flower buds of Lonicera macranthoides Hand.-Mazz.) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb that is officially listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The aim of this study was to screen the chemical composition and to study the antibacterial activity of essential oils of Flos Lonicerae. The chemical composition of the essential oils was investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antibacterial activity was evaluated by the disc diffusion method to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The major compounds of Flos Lonicerae essential oils were linalool (10.4%), palmitic acid (8.0%), geraniol (6.9%), hexanal (2.5%), and α-terpineol (2.2%). Flos Lonicerae essential oils demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results of this study suggest that the essential oils of Flos Lonicerae have an interesting antimicrobial effect and may be a new potential source for a natural antimicrobial applied in the pharmaceutical field.