Dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris) as a tool for helping with Infection (general)

Volatile organic compositions of the essential oils (EOs), solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and SPME of n -hexane extracts from the flower and stem-leaf of Filipendula vulgaris (F. vulgaris) were analyzed by GC-FID/MS. A total of 107 constituents were characterized, flower and stem-leaf parts of the plant were found to contain different volatile organic compounds. Tricosane (29.6%), n -nonanal (20.5%) were identified as the main components in the essential oil of the flower, while phytol (35.2%) was found to be a major constituent in the essential oil of stem-leaf . Benzaldehyde (56.0%) and n -nonanal (31.6%) were the major groups in the SPME of stem-leaf and flower, respectively. The volatiles for the SPME of n -hexane extracts of the flower and stem-leaf of F. vulgaris were predominated by aromatic compounds (75.0% and 78.5%) and ketones (18.1% and 10.1%), respectively. On the other hand, a total of terpene compounds was found at the most in the EO of the stem-leaf part of the plant (48.6%). In addition, antimicrobial, tyrosinase inhibition, and nitric oxide scavenging activities of the n -hexane (H), methanol (M), aqueous extracts (A) and EOs of F. vulgaris were investigated. EOs and methanol extracts of flower and stem-leaf had high antimicrobial activity against tested various microorganisms . However, n -hexane extracts of the flower and stem-leaf only displayed activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis . Methanol extracts of flower and stem-leaf possessed the best tyrosine inhibition and NO scavenging activity.

The leaf essential oil of Filipendula vulgaris, consisting mainly of salicylaldehyde (68.6%), was screened for its antimicrobial activity by the disk diffusion and microdilution broth assays. The essential oil remarkably inhibited the growth of all of the tested bacteria and fungi. It seems that the antimicrobial nature of F. vulgaris essential oil can be attributed to the synergistic interactions of the compounds constituting the oil rather than to the presence of a single inhibitory agent. A synergy in salicylaldehyde/linalool mixtures was observed with a maximum interaction situated in the range between 60:40 and 80:20 (mol ratio). At this concentration range (at a dose of 1.7 microg/disk) no microbial growth was observed while the respective pure compounds, at the corresponding quantities, are shown to be dramatically less active. The MIC value for the 60:40 mixture was determined to be less that 0.009 mg/ml. In addition, an antagonistic relationship between salicylaldehyde and methyl salicylate was established. The maximum (negative) interaction was shown to correspond approximately to the mixture at the 40:60 (methyl salicylate/salicylaldehyde) mol ratio resulting in the complete loss of activity at the investigated dose.