Abstract:

The essential oil extracted from Artemisia annua by steam distillation was determined for its in vitro antibacterial activity (inhibition zone diameter) by disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by test tube method. Twelve species of common bacteria or fungi were the indicator strains used. The essential oil had different inhibitory effects on these test strains. Comparatively, fungi were more sensitive to the oil, and its anti-fungus activity was stable, and it had the strongest inhibitory effect on Aspergillus niger, followed by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium marneffei, Mucor racemosus, Penicillium sp. and Rhizopus sp. Thus, the essential oil has broad application prospects for the development of a natural preservative or an antimicrobial drug.

Key words: Artemisia annua, essential oil, fungi, bacteria, minimum inhibitory concentration