GC/MS Characterization, <i>in-vitro</i> Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils from <i>Pinus</i> Plant Species from Himachal Pradesh, India
Aditi Sharma, Lalit Sharma, Rohit Goyal
Abstract
The present study was aimed to explore the chemical composition and evaluate the biological efficacy of needles and stem bark oils of three Pine plant species: Pinus roxburghii, P. wallichiana, and P. gerardiana for oxidative, inflammatory and infectious diseases. The essential oils of three Pinus plants (needles and bark) were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed using GC/MS. The essential oils were further assessed for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial activities in-vitro. The antimicrobial activity was assessed against four bacterial strains by using agar well diffusion test. The antioxidant activity was evaluated utilizing the DPPH free radical scavenging assay and Nitric oxide assay. The GC/MS analysis leads to the identification of compounds in essential oils of P. roxburghii, P. wallichiana, and P. gerardiana. The oils showed significant anti-oxidant activity by scavenging DPPH and nitric oxide. The oils also showed promising in-vitro anti- inflammatory activities on albumin denaturation assay and HRBC membrane stabilization assay. The oils showed significant inhibition in the growth of microorganisms: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aurignosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumonia, when compared to control. The observed results back the suggestion that non-polar constituents from the essential oils of Pinus plant species have the biological potential to treat oxidative, inflammatory, and bacterial infections. This may derive rationale for the medicinal properties of Pinus oil lends credence to age-old use and holds for the production of novel drugs.