Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from Chaerophyllum aureum L. (Apiaceae).

The essential oils of the aerial parts and fruits of Chaerophyllum aureum L., collected from two mountains in Serbia, were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Sabinene (18.5-31.6%), p-cymene (7.9-25.4%) and limonene (1.9-10.9%) were characterized as the main constituents. The oils were tested against six bacterial strains and one strain of yeast, Candida albicans. The highest antimicrobial activity was observed against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis and Micrococcus luteus, while of the Gram-negative strains, Escherichia coli was the most sensitive.