RESEARCH PAPER 1 Volume 3, Issue 2, March-April 2014 ISSN No.: 2319-7536 Available Online at www.gpublication.com/crbps ©Genxcellence Publication 2011, All Rights Reserved Chemical Compositions of Essential oil and In vitro Biological Activity of Heracleum argaeum Boiss. & Bal. Sevil Albayrak 1* , Lutfiye Yurtseven 2 , Abit Yaşar 2 and Ahmet Aksoy 3 1 Erciyes University, Science Faculty, Department of Biology, 38039, Kayseri/TURKEY 2 Erciyes University, Graduate School Natural Applied Science, 38039 Kayseri, TURKEY 3 Akdeniz University, Science Faculty, Department of Biology, 07058, Antalya, TURKEY Email ID: salbayrak@erciyes.edu.tr Abstract The extract obtained from Heracleum argaeum Boiss. & Bal. (Apiaceae) has been investigated for its total antioxidant capacity, inhibition of the bleaching of the β-carotene–linoleic acid emulsion and scavenging capacity on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. In addition to the antioxidant activity of this plant, the total phenolic and flavonoid content were measured in the extract. The chemical composition of essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of H. argaeum was analyzed by GC-MS. The antimicrobial activities of the extract and essential oil were also tested against 13 bacteria and 2 yeasts. The extract showed antibacterial activity against many of tested bacteria while essential oil exhibited slight or no activity. Keywords Heracleum argaeum; essential oil, antimicrobial activity; antioxidant activity, DPPH INTRODUCTION Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are natural by-products of our body’s metabolism such as respiration and some cell mediated immune functions [1, 8]. They can cause extensive oxidative damage to cellular biomolecules (DNA, RNA, lipids, proteins and enzymes), leading to cell or tissue injury associated with several degenerative diseases such as cancer, arteriosclerosis, neurodegenerative disorders, as well as aging processes [1, 17]. Their action is opposed by a balanced system of antioxidant defences, including antioxidant compounds and enzymes. Upsetting this balance causes oxidative stress, which can lead to cell injury and death [5]. The epidemiological evidence indicates that the consumption of foodstuffs containing antioxidant phytonutrients-notably flavonoids and other polyphenolics-is advantageous for our health [1]. Therefore, much attention has been focussed on the use of antioxidants, especially natural antioxidants, to inhibit lipid peroxidation, or to protect against the damage of free radicals [5]. The genus Heracleum L., belonging to the family Apiaceae, includes almost 125 species all around the world and is represented in flora of Turkey by 17 species, nine of them being endemic [16]. H. argaeum which is an endemic plant grow wild in Turkey. For a long time, some Heracleum species has been used in traditional medicine as analgesic, antiseptic, carminative, digestive, dispelling rheumatism, pain killer, flavoring agent, spices and against dysentery and diarrhea [2, 7, 16]. Many studies have been reported that the essential oils and extracts of different species of Heracleum possessed many biological activities such as cytotoxic, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticonvulsant activities [7]. To the best of our knowledge, at present no data on the total phenolic content, antimicrobial activity against a wide range of microorganisms and antioxidant properties of H. argaeum methanol extract. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of the hydrodistilled essential oil of H. argaeum by gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectroscopy (MS), to determine antimicrobial and the antioxidative properties of its methanol extract. MATERIALS AND METHODS Chemicals Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, DPPH, sodium carbonate, Gallic acid, Ascorbic acid, Nutrient agar, Nutrient broth, Malt extract agar and Malt extract broth were purchased from Merck. The other chemicals and solvents used in this experiment were analytical grade, purchased from Merck. Plant Heracleum argaeum Boiss. & Bal. (Apiaceae), was collected from Hacılar, Erciyes mountain, Kayseri, Inner Anatolia region of Turkey in August 2010, 38 ° 42.592 N 35 ° 21.614 E, at altitudes of 3100-3200 m. Plants were collected during their flowering season. They were identified by a senior taxonomist Prof. Dr. Ahmet AKSOY from Erciyes University, Department of Biology. The voucher specimens have been deposited at the Herbarium of the Department of Biology, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey (Voucher no.: A. Aksoy 2390). H. argaeum is a Turkish endemic species.