Antibacterial and phytochemical properties of Aphanamixis polystachya essential oil

Now a day's rise of new antibiotic resistant bacterial strains is a global threat. Ethnic people of India have been employing Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) R. Parker wood extract in healing cancerous wounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and to identify the medicinally potent chemicals in the essential oil extract of A. polystachya. The antibacterial properties of various organic extracts were evaluated against a range of bacteria (gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria) based on the disc diffusion method and GC-MS based analysis for finding active oil extract components. All extracts of A. polystachya leaves showed potential antibacterial activity, notably ethyl acetate, while petroleum ether extracts revealed highly sensitive activity against all tested bacteria (zones of inhibition ranging from 8.83 to 11.23 mm). In addition, the petroleum ether extract had the lowest MIC value (32 to $256{\mu}g/mL$) against E. coli, S. lutea, X. campestris, and B. subtilis bacteria. The major compounds detected in oil [${\beta}$-elemene (16.04 %), ${\beta}$-eudesmol (12.78 %), ${\beta}$-caryophyllene (19.37 %), ${\beta}$-selinene (11.32 %), elemol (5.76 %), and ${\alpha}$-humulene (5.68 %)] are expected to be responsible for the potent antimicrobial activity. The results of this study offer valuable insights into the potent role of A. polystachya essential oil extract in pharmaceutical and antibiotic research.