Synergistic effect of constituents of essential oil of Lindera umbellata var. Membrancea on antibacterial activity

Abstract

Lindera umbellata var. Membrancea (Kuromoji) is a wild plant that grows all over Japan. Various methods have been proposed for utilizing the characteristics of its essential oils. The chemical composition of the essential oil of L. umbellate var. Membrancea and its antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria have been reported. To broaden the range of applications, we aimed to investigate the correlation between the oil constituents and their activity in various combinations. Borneol was found to be an important constituent for antibacterial activity. It is suggested that the presence of five major constituents, namely, linalool, 1, 8-cineole, geranyl acetate, dihydrocarvone, and borneol, caused a significant synergistic increase in the antibacterial activity.