Chemical and Antimicrobial Properties of Essential Oils of Five Moroccan Pinaceae

Abstract

The composition of the essential oils isolated from the needles of Pinus halepensis M., P. canariensis C., P. pinaster S., P. pinea L. and P. brutia grown in Morocco were investigated by GC and GC/MS. The oil of P. halepensis was found to be rich in monoterpenes hydrocarbons (78.1%), with α-pinene (23.3%) being the major component. The most abundant compound in P. pinea oil was also α-pinene (37.0%), while the oil of P. brutia contained β-pinene (33.6%) as a major component. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were found to dominate the composition of P. canariensis (91.6%) and P. pinaster (64.6%), with the main components being germacrene D (62.5%) and β-caryophyllene (22.2%), respectively. The oils and α-pinene, myrcene and β-caryophyllene were tested for their inhibitory effect against 21 strains of bacteria. Examination of the antibacterial activity revealed that only P. pinaster and P. pinea oils exhibited a definite activity against all organisms tested. Compared to gentamicin, tetracycline and chloramphenicol, both oils showed a marked antiseptic activity.