Chemical analysis and in vitro antiviral and antifungal activities of essential oils from Glechon spathulata and Glechon marifolia

AbstractContext: Glechon spathulata Benth. and Glechon marifolia Benth. (Lamiaceae, Mentheae) are aromatic plants used in traditional medicine for the treatment of viral infections.Objective: The chemical composition and antiviral and antifungal activities of Glechon spathulata and Glechon marifolia essential oils were investigated.Materials and methods: The oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC–FID and GC–MS. Anti-herpes virus (HSV-1) activity was examined in Vero cells by yield reduction assay, in doses of 0.0095% v/v and 0.039% v/v, for G. spathulata and G. marifolia oil, respectively. Antifungal activity was carried by the broth microdilution method, in oil concentrations that ranged from 5.2 to 500 µg/mL.Results: β-Caryophyllene (14.2% and 32.2% for G. spathulata and G. marifolia, respectively) and bicyclogermacrene (17.1% and 16.5%, respectively) were the major components of both oils. At noncytotoxic concentrations of the essential oils, the viral titer was reduced by up to 2 l...