Assessment of antibacterial properties of Tanacetum parthenium L. essential oil

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.) is a perennial herbaceous essential oil bearing plant belongs to Astraceae family. This plant is a valuable and important medicinal herb which has many therapeutic properties. Recent investigations have shown its excellent anti-migraine effects of it. Other properties of this plant are anti-inflammatory, analgesic, promote menstrual flow and reduce fever, antiseptic and anti-rheumatic effects. This investigation was conducted to study the antibacterial properties of feverfew essential oil, as well as determination of the content and composition of essential oil before doing antibacterial assessments. The aerial parts of Tanacetum parthenium were harvested in summer when the plants were in full blooming stage. The collected aerial parts were then dried in the shade. The essential oil of aerial parts was extracted by hydro-distillation technique using Clevenger apparatus and was analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS method. Anti bacterial properties of the essential oil on four pathogenic bacteria were determined by using broth dilution and well diffusion agar methods. The essential oil showed the maximum anti bacterial effect on E. coli and the minimum on S. aureus and P. aeuroginosa. The essential oil content of aerial parts was 0.66% (w/w) based on dry weight. The amount of camphor which is the main constituent of the oil and as an antiseptic component was 48.9%. In conclusion the results of this study showed thatthe essential oil of feverfew is rich of camphor and is considerable as an anti-bacterial agent in drug and food industries.