Chemical profile, antibacterial, antioxidant and insecticidal properties of the essential oil from Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) masters cones

The aim of the present work was to study the chemical composition and to evaluate, in vitro, the antibacterial, antioxidant and insecticidal properties of the essential oil obtained from Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) (Cupressaceae) masters cones collected from the eastern region of Morocco. GC-MS and GC-FID analyses of essential oil of T. articulata cones (TA-EO) led to the characterization of 57 components, representing 91.1% of the total volatile fraction of TA-EO. The TA-EO had a bactericidal effect against all clinical multidrug bacteria. Furthermore, TA-EO displayed strong antioxidant capacity against DPPH radical. Fumigation bioassays showed that TA-EO exhibits strong toxic effect against Sitophilus granarius and Tribolium confusum. The results obtained from this study indicate that essential oil of T. articulata masters cones is promising as a source of natural antioxidant, insecticide and antibiotic can be used in the pharmaceutical and agriculture fields.