Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Properties, and Antimicrobial Activity of Ferula assa-foetida L. Essential Oil against Pathogenic Bacteria

Ferula assa-foetida L. (Asafoetida) a medicinal plant with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, is crucial in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Ferula essential oils (EOs), rich in ferulic acid, flavonoids, alkaloids, and glycosides compositions, may offer a potential solution to antibiotic resistance. The aim of this work is to investigate the components of Ferula chemical essential oil (EO) and its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties in different habitats of Iran (Tabas, Yazd, Neishabur, and Kerman). Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was performed to determine the composition of the essential oils from the four different sources. The antimicrobial activity, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the essential oils against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria were evaluated using the broth microdilution method and the well diffusion test. Likewise, the antioxidant properties of the essential oils were examined using the DPPH radical scavenging method. GC-MS analysis identified the major components of the essential oils, with the Nishabur EO having the highest percentage of components. The Kerman EO had the lowest inhibitory concentration against Escherichia coli, at 6.25 mg/ml, while the Yazd EO demonstrated the highest inhibitory concentration against Staphylococcus aureus, at a minimum inhibitory concentration of 50 mg/ml. Yazd EO showed the strongest antimicrobial activity, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria, with a halo diameter of 22.5 mm. In contrast, the Kerman EO showed the least amount of antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, with a halo diameter of 11.5 mm. Kerman EO had the highest antioxidant activity, with 93.9393%. The Ferula EO has the ability to inhibit DPPH radicals and demonstrated activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, making it a strong antioxidant and natural preservative in the pharmaceutical industry.