Chemical Composition, in Vitro Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Different Parts Essential Oils of Neolitsea sericea var. aurata From Taiwan

This study examined the chemical composition and antimicrobial activities of essential oils isolated from the leaves, twigs, and fruits of Neolitsea sericea var. aurata from Taiwan. The major compounds responsible for antimicrobial activity were isolated and identified. The leaf, twig, and fruit essential oils were obtained through hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus and were characterized through gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization detection (GC/FID) and GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The major compounds were (E)-beta-ocimene (49.3%) and sericenine (31.6%) in the leaf oil; (E)-beta-ocimene (73.7%), alpha-cadinol (6.8%), and alpha-muurolol (4.0%) in the twig oil; and (E)-beta-ocimene (84.7%) in the fruit oil. The twig oil exhibited the strongest antibacterial and antifungal activities. We isolated alpha-cadinol and alpha-muurolol, the main components of NTO4 fraction, and used them in antimicrobial tests; the two compounds exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities. The twig essential oil contains alpha-cadinol and alpha-muurolol and exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities against food-borne pathogens; thus, they are worthy of further research and development.