Chemical characterization and biological activity of essential oils from Daucus carota L. ssp. carota growing wild on the Mediterranean coast and on the Atlantic coast

MAXIA, ANDREA;Marongiu B;PIRAS, ALESSANDRA;PORCEDDA, SILVIA;TUVERI, ENRICA;Goncalves M. J;Cavaleiro C;Salgueiro L.

2009-01-01

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Abstract

The essential oils and supercritical CO2 extracts of wild Daucus carota L. subsp. carota growing spontaneously in Sardinia and in Portugalwere investigated. The main components in the Sardinian essential oilofflowering andmature umbelswithseeds areβ-bisabolene (17.6–51.0%) and 11-α-(H)- himachal-4-en-1-β-ol (9.0–21.6%); instead, the oils from Portuguese samples are predominantly composed of geranyl acetate (5.2–65.0%) and α-pinene (3.5–37.9%). Supercritical extracts contain lower amounts of monoterpenes and higher amounts of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. Antifungal activities of the Sardinian oils were the highest, particularly for dermatophytes and Cryptococcus neoformans, with MIC values of 0.16–0.64 μL mL−1.