Chemical composition of the essential oil of Elaeoselinum asclepium (L.) Bertol subsp. meoides (Desf.) Fiori (Umbelliferae) collected wild in Central Sicily and its antimicrobial activity

In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oils from flowers and leaves of Elaeoselinum asclepium (L.) Bertol subsp. meoides (Desf.) Fiori collected in Central Sicily was evaluated by GC and GC–MS. The main volatile components of the flowers were α-phellandrene (42.5%), terpinolene (15.7%), p-cymene (11.6%) and β-phellandrene (10.2%), whereas the ones of the leaves were p-cymene (44.0%), α-pinene (13.2%), α-phellandrene (11.0%), β-phellandrene (10.2%) and β-pinene (9.2%). Furthermore, the antibacterial and antifungal activities against some microorganisms infesting historical art craft were determined. The essential oil from leaves (EL) showed to be particularly active against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus vulgaris.