Chemical Composition and Antifungal Activity of Essential Oil from Xanthium strumarium L. Leaves

The hydrodistilled essential oil from Xanthium strumarium L. leaves was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Nine out of twenty two constituents were identified from X. strumarium oil. The main components of the oil were beta-caryophyllene (17.53%), alpha-cadinol (6.66%), spathulenol (6.09%), limonene (5.66%) and 1,3,5-trimethyl-2[2-nitroallyl]benzene (3.29%). Phytol (2.42%), alpha-muurolene (2.08%), copaene (1.47%) were present in appreciable amounts. E,E,Z-1,3,12-nonadecatriene-5,14-diol (0.27%) was present in minor amount. The oil displayed high degree of antifungal effect against all fungal strains with 11.8-46.0 mm zone of inhibition at concentration range 8-250 mu g/ml. The 8 mu g/ml minimum fungicidal concentration along with being the minimum inhibitory concentration points to the potential of X. strumarium essential oil as a promising source of antifungal agents with useful biomedical applications.