Composition, enantiomeric distribution, and antimicrobial activity of Tanacetum argenteum subsp. flabellifolium essential oil

Tanacetum argenteum (Lam.) Willd. subsp. flabellifolium (Boiss. & Heldr.) Grierson of Asteraceae is an endemic species in Turkey. Hydrodistillation of aerial parts using a Clevenger apparatus yielded an essential oil, which was subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS). α-Pinene (29%), (E)-sesquilavandulol (16%), and camphor (14%) were found as main constituents. Enantiomeric distribution of the monoterpenes α-pinene and camphor was determined on a fused silica Lipodex E capillary column using a multidimensional gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (MDGC–MS) system, (−)-α-pinene (86%), (+)-α-pinene (14%), and (−)-camphor (100%) enantiomeric distributions were found in the oil. Furthermore, antimicrobial activity of the oil was carried out using a micro-dilution assay against human pathogenic bacteria and the yeast Candida albicans resulting in moderate inhibitory concentrations (MIC = 125 μg/mL).