Antifungal properties of essential oil and crude extracts of Hypericum linarioides Bosse

The chemical composition of the essential oil isolated from the aerial parts of Hypericum linarioides Bosse by hydrodistillation was analysed by GC-MS. It was determined that 74 compounds, which represent 84.1% of total oil, were present in the oil. The oil contains mainly 8-cadinene (6.9%), (Z)-beta-farnesene (5.2%), gamma-muurolene,(5.5%), spathulenol (4.8%), hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (4.5%) and alpha-selinene (4.0%). The oil was also characterized by high content of sesquiterpenes (64.2% of total oil). The oil was tested for antifungal activity using mycelial growth inhibition assays (in vitro) against 11 agricultural pathogenic fungi, which consisted of six Fusarium species (Fusarium acuminatum, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium sambucinum and Fusarium solani) and three anastomosis groups of Rhizoctonia solani (AG-5, AG-9 and AG-11), Alternaria solani and Verticillium albo-atrum. The oil of H. linarioides showed antifungal activity against AG-9 and V. alho-atrum. In addition, petroleum ether, chloroform, acetone and methanol extracts of H. linarioides were tested against species of 11 fungi. The extracts showed moderate inhibition effects on the growth of A. solani, F. culmorum, F. equiseti and all anastomosis groups of R. solani. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.