Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Greek endemic Stachys spruneri and its main component, isoabienol.

The essential oils of Stachys spruneri Boiss. (sample A and sample B) were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. (+)-Isoabienol was the dominant component (49.5 and 48.2%, respectively of the total oils) among seventy-two identified constituents. Isoabienol was separated, purified by preparative thin-layer chromatography, and further identified by means ofphysicochemical and spectrometric analysis. The microbial growth inhibitory properties of the essential oil and its main metabolite, the labdane diterpene isoabienol, were determined using the broth microdilution method against eight laboratory strains of bacteria (Gram-positive: Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Micrococcus luteus, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, and Gram- negative: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and two strains of the yeast Candida albicans. Both essential oil and isoabienol showed considerable activity against all the microorganisms tested, with the isolated compound being most active.