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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Early Access

Phytochemical analysis, in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities and embryotoxicity evaluation of the essential oil of Microtoena patchoulii (C.B.Clarke ex Hook.f.) C.Y.Wu & S.J.Hsuan and terpinolene in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.12427
Submitted
26 October 2025
Published
09-07-2026
Versions

Abstract

Patchouli oil has diverse applications in food preservation, medicine and cosmetics. The present study investigated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities and embryotoxic potential of the essential oil of Microtoena patchoulii (C.B.Clarke ex Hook.f.) C.Y.Wu & S.J.Hsuan (EOMP). Phytochemical profiling was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Antioxidant activity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assays. Antibacterial activity of EOMP and terpinolene was assessed by the agar well diffusion method against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhi and Staphylococcus aureus. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using a 96-well microtiter plate assay with tetrazolium dye. Embryotoxicity was evaluated in zebrafish (Danio rerio). The GC-MS analysis identified terpinolene (10.15 %) as the major volatile constituent. The EOMP exhibited stronger ABTS radical scavenging activity (EC₅₀ = 6.995 µg/mL) than DPPH activity (EC₅₀ = 10.044 µg/mL). The antibacterial activity of EOMP was observed in the order: E. coli (24.6 ± 0.1 mm) > S. aureus (22.0 ± 0.1 mm) > S. typhi (20.4 ± 0.6 mm) > B. subtilis (18.6 ± 0.1 mm), with the lowest MIC recorded against E. coli (5.0 ± 0.0 µg/mL). Terpinolene showed comparatively lower antibacterial activity, with the lowest MIC observed against B. subtilis and S. aureus (2.0 ± 0.0 µg/mL). The median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) values of EOMP and terpinolene were 174.147 µg/mL and 201.409 µg/mL, respectively. Overall, EOMP demonstrated stronger antibacterial activity but higher embryotoxic potential than terpinolene.

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