Flower and Root Oils of the Tunisian Daucus carota L. ssp maritimus (Apiaceae): Integrated Analyses by GC, GC/MS, and 13C-NMR Spectroscopy, and in vitro Antibacterial Activity

The essential Oils from flowers and roots of Daucus carota L ssp. maritimus were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by combination of GC. GC/MS, and C-13-NMR. The chemical composition of the flower and root oils of this subspecies is reported here for the first time. Thirty-two and six compounds were identified in flower and root oils. respectively. A remarkable difference was found between the constituent percentages of the two organs. The chemical composition of the essential oil from flowers was characterized by a high proportion of monoterpene hydrocarbons (68.4%) and belonged to the sabinene (4; 51.6%) chemotype. The oxygenated monoterpenes represented the second major fraction of the same oil among which terpinen-4-ol (11.0%) was the predominant compound. Root oil exhibited a surprisingly different composition. Phenolic derivatives (76.3%), myristicin (31; 29.7%), and dillapiole (32; 46.6%) constituted the main fraction. The antibacterial effect resulted in the inhibition of a series of common human pathogenic bacteria, and of some clinically and environmentally isolated strains with significant MIC and MBC values.