Phytochemical compounds and bioactivity properties of the whole plant of maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris L.) essential oil

The use of medicinal plants and their effective compounds as natural sources that have antioxidant and antibacterial properties, has been considered by researchers. In this study, chemical compounds of Adiantum capillus-veneris essential oil were used to evaluate its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity using water distillation and gas chromatography. The whole plant was dried at room temperature at 25 ° C and the distillation method with water with modifications was used using a Clevenger device for essential oil extraction. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to identify the resulting essential oil compounds and the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the essential oil was evaluated. The most important chemical constituents of Adiantum capillus-veneris essential oil were carvone (33.00%), carvacrol (15.05%), hexadecanoic acid (7.02%), hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (4.25%) and n-nonanal (4.2%). The antibacterial activity of Adiantum capillus-veneris essential oils (mg/ml) was calculated and the highest antibacterial activity was determined by Staphylococcus aureus (8.23±0.68), Streptococcus pyogenes (12.46±0.31), and Diphtheroid (11.37±1.02) at a concentration of 100 mg/ml of essential oils. The results of the present study showed that the essential oil of Adiantum capillus-veneris prevented the growth of three pathogenic bacteria. This antibacterial property is due to the presence of flavonoid compounds in Adiantum capillus-veneris which has the capacity for therapeutic and medical uses.