Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil of Helichrysum chionophilum: an endemic plant of Türkiye

Diseases that develop due to microorganisms have become increasingly dangerous today. Especially in the fight against resistant microorganisms, there is a need for cheaper, natural and effective methods. Plant materials containing biologically active compounds come to the fore in this sense. Therefore, in the present study, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil obtained from H. chionophilum collected from Gümüşhane were investigated. The essential oil was obtained by hydro-distillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus. Free radical scavenging activity was determined using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil) method. Antimicrobial activity was examined using the microdilution method using 17 bacteria and 2 yeasts. According to the findings, IC50 value of the radical scavenging activity of the essential oil of H. chionophilum plant was found to be 260.0±0.2 µg/mL. Also, the essential oil of the plant showed outstanding antimicrobial activity against Y. pseudotuberculosis (MIC: 16 µg/mL), S. epidermidis (MIC: 16 µg/mL), and C. albicans (MIC: 16 µg/mL) and C. tropicalis (MIC: 32 µg/mL). The results indicate that H. chionophilum, which is an endemic species, and its essential oils can be used as a new and alternative natural agent thanks to its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.