Abstract

The chemical constituents of the hexane extracts of Chaerophyllum macropodum (Boiss.) from two different localities were obtained in Soxhlet apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The hexane extracts of C. macropodum from Givi and Neor were characterized by a higher amount of linoleic acid (23.2 and 29.2%), 6-octadecenoic acid (20.2 and 6.8%), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (8.8 and 9.9%) and E-β-farnesene (4.6 and 8.7%), respectively. Carotol (16.9%) and (-)-β-acoradiene (5.1%) were the major compounds in the hexane extract of sample from Givi, and germacrene- D (8.8%) and acorenone-B (12.6%) were the major ones in Neor sample. The composition of the extracts was different, although the most abundant components were identical in hexane extract from Neor sample (99.3%). The antimicrobial effects of hexane extracts from C. macropodum were studied according to the agar diffusion cup method. The antimicrobial activity of the hexane extracts of those samples were determined against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis), as well as three fungi (Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The hexane extracts had a moderate effect on some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Key words: Chaerophyllum macropodum, umbelliferae, hexane extract, omega-3.