Essential Oil Chemical Composition of Vitex agnus-castus L. from Southern-West Algeria and Its Antimicrobial Activity

This study investigates the chemical composition and the biological activities of the essential oils of Vitex agnus-castus. The essential oils from the dry leaves, flowers and seeds of Vitex agnus- castus L., were obtained by hydro-distillation, and their volatile constituents were identified by GC/MS. Antioxidant activity of the samples was determined by DPPH method. Antifungal and antibacterial activities were tested using three fungal strains by reported method and eight bacterial strains by well-diffusion method. The major components in the oil of flowers were 1,8-cineole (17.16%), caryophyllene (12.94%) and terpinen-4- ol (10.22%), while the dominant compounds in the oil of the seeds were 1,8-cineole (14.92%), cedrelanol (13.95%) and 7a-isopropenyl-4,5-dimethyloctahydroindene-4-carboxylic acid (13.90%). The oil of leaves contained an abundance of1,8-cineole (18.27%), as well. Their compositions were compared with oils from the plants obtained from Europe, America and Asia. The essential oils of seeds and leaves showed antibacterial potency against Klebsiella pneumonea, E. coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. While the oil of leaves and flowers showed a high antifungal activity against Penicillium escpansum, Aspergillus flavus dominant compounds, respectively.