Comparative analysis of essential oils and antimicrobial activities of Scorzonera yildirimlii and S. zorkunensis from Türkiye

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of essential oils (EOs) of two endemic species, Scorzonera yildirimlii and S. zorkunensis. The EOs were obtained using hydrodistillation (HD) and analyzed by GC-MS. A total of 48 and 37 compounds were identified, accounting for 99.96% and 99.94%, respectively. Aldehydes (56.20% / 34.55%) and terpenoids (17.89% / 25.55%) were the primary chemical classes in the essential oil of both species. Nonanal (18.76%) and phytol (15.58%) in the EO of S. yildirimlii and 2-nonadecanone (21.62%) and cedroxide (12.07%) in the EO of S. zorkunensis were found to be significant compounds. The antimicrobial activities of the EOs of both species were evaluated against nine microorganisms. They showed the strongest activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis, with MIC values of 32.63 µg/mL and 65.81 µg/mL, respectively.

Keywords

• Antimicrobial activity
• Asteraceae
• Essential oils
• Scorzonera yildirimlii
• Scorzonera zorkunensis

References

1. Adams, R.P. (2007). Identifying essential oil components by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, Allured Publ., Carol Stream, IL.
2. Ayromlou, A., Masoudi, S. & Mirzaie, A. (2019). Scorzonera calyculata aerial part extract-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles: evaluation of their antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. Journal of Cluster Science, 30, 1037-1050. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10876-019-01563-2
3. Ayromlou, A., Masoudi, S., & Mirzaie, A. (2020). Chemical composition, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer activities of Scorzonera calyculata Boiss. and Centaurea irritans Wagenitz. extracts, endemic to Iran. Journal of Reports in Pharmaceutical Sciences, 9, 118 127. https://doi.org/10.4103/jrptps.JRPTPS_97_19
4. Barry, A.L. (1999). Methods for determining bactericidal activity of antimicrobial agents: approved guideline. National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, Wayne, PA.
5. Baytop, T. (1999). Herbal therapy in Türkiye: past and present, Nobel Medical Bookstores.
6. Boussaada, O., Saidana, D., Chriaa, J., Chraif, I., Ammar, Mahjoub, M.A., Mighri, Z., Daami, M., & Helal, A.N. (2008). Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of volatile components of Scorzonera undulata. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 20(4), 358 362. https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.2008.9700030
7. Cansu, T.B., Yaylı, B., Özdemir, T., Batan, N., Karaoğlu, Ş.A., & Yaylı N. (2013). Antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of the essential oils of mosses (Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) Schimp. and Leucodon sciuroides (Hedw.) Schwägr.) growing in Turkey. Turkish Journal of Chemistry, 37(2), 213-219. https://doi.org/10.3906/kim-1204-72
8. Chamberlain, D. (1975). Scorzonera L. (Ed: Davis PH). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands. Edinburgh University Press, 632-657.

9. Çitoğlu, G.S., Bahadır, Ö., Dall’Acqua, S. (2010). Dihydroisocoumarin derivatives isolated from the roots of Scorzonera latifolia. Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences,7(3), 205-212. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(02)00714-8
10. Çoşkunçelebi, K., Makbul, S., Gültepe, M., Okur, S., & Güzel, M.E. (2015). A conspectus of Scorzonera s.l. in Turkey. Turkish Journal of Botany, 39(1), 76-87. https://doi.org/10.3906/bot-1401-10
11. Gong, Y., Shi, Z.N., Yu, J., He, X.F., Meng, X.H., Wu, Q.X., & Zhu, Y. (2024). The genus Scorzonera L. (Asteraceae): a comprehensive review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, chemotaxonomy, and other applications. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 320, 116787. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2023.116787
12. Harkati, B., Akkal, S., Bayat, C., Laouer, H. & Dijoux Franca, M.G. (2010). Secondary metabolites from Scorzonera undulata ssp. deliciosa (Guss.) Maire (Asteracae) and their antioxidant activities. Records of Natural Products, 4(3), 171-175.
13. Lendzion, K., Gornowicz, A., Strawa, J.W., Bielawska, K., Czarnomysy, R., Poplawska, B., Bielawski, K., Tomczyk, M., Miltyk, W. & Bielawska, A. (2022). LC-PDA-MS and GC-MS Analysis of Scorzonera hispanica Seeds and Their Effects on Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(19), 11584. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911584
14. Mahjoub, M.A., Boussaada, O., Ammar, S., Saidana, D., Chraif, I., Helal, A.N. & Mighri, Z. (2009). Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the volatile components obtained from the subaerial parts of Scorzonera undulate. International Journal of Essential Oil Therapeutics, 3, 152-157. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijoe.2009.3.3.152
15. Makbul, S., Türkmen, Z., Coşkunçelebi, K., & Beyazoğlu, O. (2010). Morphometric study on Scorzonera L. taxa (Asteraceae) from northeast Anatolia. Acta Botanica Croatica, 69(2), 237-247. https://doi.org/10.81043/aperta.24625
16. Mohammed, F.S., Günal, S., Şabik, A.E., Akgül, H., & Sevindik, M. (2020). Antioxidant and Antimicrobial activity of Scorzonera papposa collected from Iraq and Turkey. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım ve Doğa Dergisi, 23(5), 1114 1118. https://doi.org/10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.699457
17. Najah, Z.M. & Algaw, N.A. (2024). Chemical profile of Scorzonera undulata grown in Libyan western coast. European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 11(7), 235-241.
18. Özcan Aykutlu, A., Makbul, S., Coşkunçelebi, K., & Seyis, F. (2025). Secondary Volatile Metabolite Composition in Scorzonera pseudolanata Grossh. Plant Parts. Plants, 14(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14111624
19. Paraschos, S., Magiatis, P., Kalpoutzakis, E., Harvala, C., & Skaltsounis, A.L. (2001). Three New Dihydroisocoumarins from the Greek Endemic Species Scorzonera cretica. Journal of Natural Products, 64(12), 1585-1587. https://doi.org/10.1021/np0103665
20. Şahin, H., Demir, S., Boga, M., Sari, A., Makbul, S &, Gultepe, M. (2023). Comparative phytochemical and bioactivity studies on two related Scorzonera L. species: A chemotaxonomic contribution. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 111, 104743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2023.104743
21. Şahin, H., Sarı, A., Özsoy, N., Özbek Çelik, B., & Koyuncu, O. (2020). Two new phenolic compounds and some biological activities of Scorzonera pygmaea Sibth. & Sm. subaerial parts. Natural Product Research, 34(5), 621-628. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2019.1642676
22. Sarı, A., Özbek, B., & Özgökçe, F. (2009). Antimicrobial activities of two Scorzonera species growing in Turkey. Asian Journal of Chemistry, 21(6), 4785-4788. https://doi.org/10.5555/20093257663
23. Sarı, A., Şahin, H., Özsoy, N., & Çelik, B.Ö. (2019). Phenolic compounds and in vitro antioxidant, anti inflammatory, antimicrobial activities of Scorzonera hieraciifolia Hayek roots. South African Journal of Botany, 125, 116-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2019.07.009
24. Şenol, F.S., Acikara, O.B., Citoglu, G.S., Orhan, I.E., Acqua, S.D. & Özgökce, F. (2014). Prospective neurobiological effects of the aerial and root extracts and some pure compounds of randomly selected Scorzonera species. Pharmaceutical Biology 52(7), 873 882. https://doi.org/10.3109/13880209.2013.872152
25. Sezik, E., Yeşilada, E., Tabata, M., Honda, G., Takaishi, Y., Fujita, T., Tanaka, T., & Takeda, Y. (1997). Traditional medicine in Turkey VIII. folk medicine in east Anatolia; Erzurum, Erzíncan, Ağri, Kars, and Iğdir provinces. Economic Botany 51(3), 195-211. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02862090
26. Sweidan, A., El-Mestrah, M., Kanaan, H., Dandache, I., Merhi, F., & Chokr, A. (2020). Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of Scorzonera mackmeliana, Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 33(1), 199-206. https://doi.org/10.36721/PJPS.2020.33.1.REG.199-206.1
27. Tsevegsuren, N., Edrada, R., Lin, W., Ebel, R., Torre, C., Ortlepp, S., Wray, V., & Proksch, P. (2007). Four new natural products from Mongolian medicinal plants Scorzonera divaricata and S. pseudodivaricata (Asteraceae). Planta Medica, 72, 962-967. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-949744
28. Üçüncü, O., Cansu, T.B., Özdemir, T., Karaoğlu, Ş.A., & Yaylı, N. (2010a). Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of mosses (Tortula muralis Hedw., Homalothecium lutescens (Hedw.) H. Rob., Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw., and Pohlia nutans (Hedw.) Lindb.) from Turkey. Turkish Journal of Chemistry, 34, 825-834. https://doi.org/10.3906/kim-1001-466
29. Üçüncü, O., Kahriman, N., Terzioğrlu, S., Karaoğrlu, Ş.A., & Yaylı, N. (2010b). Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils from flowers of Senecio tonnage, S. racemosus, and S. nemesis. Natural Product Communications, 5, 831 834. https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578X1000500605
30. Ugur, A., Sarac, N., Ceylan, O., Duru, M.E., & Beyatli, Y. (2010). Chemical composition of endemic Scorzonera sandrasica and studies on the antimicrobial activity against multi-resistant bacteria. Journal of Medicinal Food, 13(3), 635-639. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2008.0312
31. Wang, B., Li, G.Q. & Guan, H.S. (2007). Analysis of volatile oils and inorganic element of Scorzonera mongolica Maxim. by GC-MS and ICP-MS. Lishizhen Medicine and Materia Medica Research, 18, 2364-2365. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijoe.2009.3.3.152
32. Wang, Y., Edrada-Ebel, R., Tsevegsuren, N., Sendker, J., Braun, M., Wray, V., Lin, W., & Proksch, P. (2009). Dihydrostilbene derivatives from the Mongolian medicinal plant Scorzonera radiata. Journal of Natural Products, 72(4), 671-675. https://doi.org/10.1021/np800782f
33. Woods, G.L., Brown-Elliott, B.A., Desmond, E.P., Hall, G.S., Heifets, L., Pfyffer, G.E., Ridderhof, J.C., Wallace, R.J., Warren, N.C., & Witebsky, F.G. (2003). Susceptibility testing of mycobacteria, nocardiae, and other aerobic actinomycetes. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 31(5), 1209-1215. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/31.5.1209
34. Yaylı, N., Öksüz, E., Korkmaz, B., Erik, I., Fandaklı, S., & Faiz, Ö. (2022). Volatile and phenolic contents, antimicrobial and tyrosinase activities of two endemic species, Scorzonera pisidica and Scorzonera sandrasica L., grown in Turkey. Records of Natural Products, 1, 46-57. http://doi.org/10.25135/rnp.240.21.02.1980
35. Yurteri, E., Makbul, S., Coskuncelebi, K., Gultepe, M., & Seyis, F. (2022). Evaluation of the chemical composition in different plant parts of Scorzonera papposa. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 31(3A), 3460-3468.
36. Zhao, R., Liu, Y., Zhu, J., Wang, K., Man, C., & Meng, F. (2010). GC-MS analysis of essential oils from different organs of Scorzonera albicaulis Bunge, Quick View Other Sources. Shizhen Guoyi Guoyao, 21(8), 1891-1893.
37. Zidorn, C., Spitaler, R., Ellmerer Müller, E. P., Perry, N. B., Gerhäuser, C. & Stuppner, H. (2002). “Structure of tyrolobibenzyl D and biological activity of tyrolobibenzyls from Scorzonera humilis”, Zeitschrift für Naturforschung Section C Journal of Biosciences, 57(7-8), 614-619. http://doi.org/10.1515/znc-2002-7-811