Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Anti‐Inflammatory Activities of Essential Oil Derived from the Wild Rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala

Abstract The present study investigated the chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti‐inflammatory activities of essential oil (EO) derived from the wild rhizomes of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (AMA) growing in Qimen County (eastern China). GC/MS analysis identified fifteen compounds, representing 92.55 % of AMA EO. The major compounds were atractylone (39.22 %), β ‐eudesmol (27.70 %), thymol (5.74 %), hinesol (5.50 %), and 11‐isopropylidenetricyclo[4.3.1.1(2,5)]undec‐3‐en‐10‐one (4.71 %). Ferricyanide reducing, 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picyrlhydrazyl (DPPH) and 3‐ethyl‐benzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS) scavenging assays revealed that AMA EO exhibited strong antioxidant capacities. Additionally, AMA EO showed inhibitory effects on growth of Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Salmonella enterica , Staphylococcus aureus , and Bacillus subtilis , with the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/mL. Treatments with AMA EO also significantly inhibited nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) production in lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated RAW264.7 cells, indicating anti‐inflammatory activity of AMA EO. Furthermore, treatments with AMA EO decreased the transcriptional levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), which might be the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti‐inflammatory effects. Overall, these results provide a theoretical basis for further study and application of AMA EO in food and medicine products.