Essential Oil Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Angelica archangelica L. (Apiaceae) Roots

In this paper, the chemical composition and the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Angelica archangelica L. (Apiaceae) roots from central Italy were analyzed. The major constituents of the oil were alpha-pinene (21.3%), delta-3-carene (16.5%), limonene (16.4%) and alpha-phellandrene (8.7%). The oil shows a good antimicrobial activity against Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus faecalis, Eubacterium limosum, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, and Candida albicans with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.25, 0.25, 0.13, 0.25, 2.25, and 0.50% v/v, respectively. A weaker antimicrobial activity against bifidobacteria and lactobacilli-very useful in the intestinal microflora-has also been shown with MIC values >4.0% v/v.