Extracts and Essential Oil of Ledum palustre L. Leaves and Their Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

The in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the essential oil and methanol extracts of Ledum palustre L. were investigated. Using GC-MS analysis, we identified 37 compounds in the essential oil, constituting 87.58% of the total oil. There are several monoterpenes, of which sabinene is the major compound ($16{\sim}17%$). There are several oxygenated monoterpenes of which terpinen-4-ol(7.6%) and myrtenal (3.5%) are the main constituents. $\beta$-Selinene, a-selinene, $\gamma$-elemene, a-caryophyllene are the main sesquiterpenes ($2{\sim}6%$ range). The oil strongly reduced the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical ($IC_{50}=1.56{\mu}g/mL$) formation and exhibited a hydroxyl radical scavenging effect in the $Fe^{3+}-EDTA-H_2O_2$ deoxyribose system ($IC_{50}=2.7{\mu}g/mL$), and also inhibited the nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation of rat liver homogenate ($IC_{50}=13.5{\mu}g/mL$). The polar phase of the extract showed antioxidant activity. The oil showed antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae, Clostridium perfringens, Candida albicans, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Acinetobacter lwoffii and Candida krusei while the water-insoluble parts of the methanolic extracts exhibited slight or no activity. This study confirms that the essential oil of Ledum palustre L. possesses antioxidant and low antimicrobial properties in vitro.