Antibacterial activity and chemical constitutions of Ziziphora clinopodioides

The essential oil and methanol extract obtained from aerial parts of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. harvested in the Eastern part of Turkey were evaluated for their chemical composition and antibacterial activity against 52 Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The GC–MS analyses allowed 18 compounds to be determined; the main constituents of the essential oils were (+)-pulegone (31.86%), 1,8-cineole (12.21%), limonene (10.48%), menthol (9.13%), β–pinene (6.88%), menthone (6.73%), piperitenone (5.30%) and piperitone (4.18%) The essential oil and methanol extract had a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against pathogens in broth microdilution bioassays. Maximum activity of essential oil (>22 mm) and methanol extract (>11 mm) was observed against Acidovorax facilis, Bacillus flexus, Bacillus spp, Bacillus sphaericus, Brevibacillus brevis, Corynebacterium ammoniagenes, Enterobacter sakazakii, Erwinia carotovora carotovora, Moraxella catarrhalis and Xanthomonas arboricola.