Essential Oil and Hydrosol Extract Chemical Profile, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Potential of Daphne gnidium L. from Algeria

Essential oils (EOs) and hydrosol extract from plants always show a wide range of interesting biological activities. The present study was performed to assess for the first time, the chemical composition and some bioactivities of EO and hydrosol extract from Daphne gnidium L. growing in Algeria. The chemical characterization of EO and hydrosol extract was carried out by GC/FID and GC/MS analysis. The antioxidant activities were evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging and by FRAP tests. Also, antimicrobial screening of these extracts were performed using the agar disc diffusion test. Ninety-nine components in EO and thirty-two components in hydrosol extract accounting for 95.5 % and 81.4 % of the total extract composition were identified. The main constituents were carvone (12.7 %) followed by spathulenol (11.2 %) in EO, while the major compounds present in the hydrosol extract were carvone (10.9 %) and carvacrol (10.9 %). The results of antioxidant activity of hydrosol extract could be considered more interesting than EO. The data of the antimicrobial assays showed that all strains were sensitive to these extracts where EO displayed a very strong antibacterial activity mainly for E. coli, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus bacteria. Up to date, the current study is the first scientific report of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities as well as the chemical composition of the EO and hydrosol extract of Algerian D. gnidium. The obtained results could promote the potential of D. gnidium as a promising source of bioactive compounds with a possible application as new natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.