04/24/2019 / By Janine Acero
Plants have proven their medicinal properties time and again. Studies have shown that the most potent antibacterial substances available come in the form of plant essential oils. Researchers from India evaluated the essential oil of Inula cappa (sheep’s ear) for its antibacterial properties. The study, which appeared in the Journal of Essential Oil Research, is the first report of the bioactivity and essential oil composition of I. cappa.
Inula is a large genus of about 90 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe, Asia and Africa. They may be annuals, herbaceous perennials or subshrubs. They vary greatly in size, from small species a few centimeters tall to enormous perennials over 3 m (10 ft) tall. I. cappa grows wild in the central Himalayan region (India). It is a shrub growing to 1.8 m (6 ft).
The researchers analyzed I. cappa essential oil using capillary GC and GC-MS. The sesquiterpene hydrocarbons constituted almost 50 percent of the oil.
They identified 54 constituents which represented 90.2 percent of the oil. The principal constituents were beta-Caryophyllene (27.5 percent), cis-dihydro-mayurone (6.7 percent), beta-bisabolene (6.5 percent) and (E)-beta-farnesene (5.6 percent).
The researchers tested the antibacterial activity of I. cappa essential oil against 10 bacterial strains and found significant activity against Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Xanthomonas phaseoli, and Bacillus subtilis.
There is evidence to suggest that I. cappa essential oil possess antibacterial properties that work against certain bacterial strains commonly found in the human gut.
The following essential oils have all been shown to have antibacterial properties. Combat bacterial illness the natural way with these essential oils.
Learn of other essential oils with potent antibacterial properties at NaturalMedicine.news.
Sources include:
Tagged Under: alternative medicine, antibacterial, bacteria, essential oils, herbal medicine, India, Inula cappa, natural antibiotic, natural cures, natural medicine, plant cures, plant medicine, prevention, remedies, research, sheep's ear
Herbs.News is a fact-based public education website published by Herbs News Features, LLC.
All content copyright © 2018 by Herbs News Features, LLC.
Contact Us with Tips or Corrections
All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.