ABSTRACT:
As a result of the study on antimicrobial activity it was established that the essential oil of the herb of the drooping dragonhead (Dracocephalum nutans L.) exhibits pronounced antimicrobial activity in relation to strains of gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633) and weak activity in relation to gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) and weak activity to the yeast fungus Candida albicans (ATCC 10231). Taking into account the above, the purpose of our research is to develop a gel with antimicrobial properties. The essential oil of Dracocephalum nutans L. was chosen as the object of the study. The genus Dracocephalum L. belongs to the family Lamiaceae Lindl. (Labiatae), the plants of which are of interest as sources of medicinal preparations. Studies have shown that some species of Dracocephalum possess antibacterial, antitussive, antidiarrheal, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and sedative properties. Isolated compounds from the genus Dracocephalum collected from natural ones such as limonene, carvacrol, a-pinene, ?-terpinene, perillaldehyde, caryophyllene oxide, 1,8-cineole, verbenone, perillyl alcohol, neral and geranyl acetate have pronounced antimicrobial properties. Among the plants of this genus, Dracocephalum nutans L. is of interest. Dracocephalum nutans L. (Synonyms: Dracocephalum nutans var. alpinum Kar. & Kir., Dracocephalum nutans subsp. subarctium Kuvaev) contains a complex of biologically active substances and is used in the medicine of the peoples of Southeast Asia in the treatment of kidney inflammation and gastrointestinal diseases such as hepatitis, gastritis, etc. The herb of Dracocephalum nutans L. has a high content of various biologically active compounds that determine the medicinal properties of this species: essential oils, flavonoids, saponins, coumarins, traces of alkaloids. The main natural components of the essential oil of Dracocephalum nutans L. were 1,8-cineole (34%), a-pinene (6.7%), ß-pinene (5.2%), ß-myrcene (5.3%). The chemical composition of the essential oil was studied by chromatography-mass spectrometry. A unified method for determining the component composition of essential oils, as well as a 7890A Agilent Technologies chromatographic system with a 5975C mass spectrometric detector were used for the analysis. Essential oils have various biological activities: antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anesthetic. There is data on the use of essential oils as an activator of absorption of pharmacologically active components of the dosage form. One of the main properties of essential oils is a high antimicrobial effect, combined with low toxicity and the absence of side effects in therapeutic use. It is assumed that the mechanism of the antimicrobial action of essential oils lies in the destruction of membrane structures of microbial cells with subsequent disruption of intracellular metabolism and death of microorganisms.