VARIABILITY AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF ORIGANUM VULGARE SUBSP. VULGARE ESSENTIAL OILS

Essential oils obtained from leaves and inflorescences of Origanum vulgare subsp. vulgare from different populations were subjected to chemical and antimicrobial testing. The data of volatile chemical analysis indicated that mono- and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were dominant compounds represented mainly by -caryophyllene, -ocimene, sabinene, and germacrene-D. The data analysis illustrated some differences between leaf and inflorescence oils. The definition of oil variability was based on factor analysis, using the method of principal components analysis. Antimicrobial activity of essential oils was evaluated in vitro against seven fungi, three yeasts and two yeast-like fungi species using the plate agar diffusion method. Essential oils exhibited higher antimicrobial activity against the strains of fungi than yeasts and yeast-like fungi. Higher inhibitory capacity was observed for oils isolated from leaves than inflorescences.