Extraction Technology, Component Analysis, and Biological Activity of Essential Oils from Ligusticum jeholense Nakai et Kitag. Vegetables

In this study, we aimed to optimize the process of extracting essential oils from Ligusticum jeholense Nakai et Kitag. vegetables (LJ-Vs) by means of hydrodistillation (HD), analyze the essential oils’ chemical composition, and evaluate their antioxidant and antibacterial activities so as to provide a certain research basis for their development and utilization. A single-factor test and the response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize the essential oil extraction process. The chemical constituents of the LJ-V essential oils were analyzed via GC-MS, and the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the oils were studied. The optimal extraction process conditions were as follows: a solid–liquid ratio of 1:16.3 g/mL, a soaking time of 120 min, and crushing using a mesh size of 40. The validation result for the optimized process was 0.872%. A total of 32 chemical components were detected in LJ-V essential oils, among which the main components were neocnidilide, myristicin, elemicin, and germacrene. LJ-V essential oils with a 20% volume concentration had obvious inhibitory effects on four tested bacteria. The effect on Staphylococcus aureus was stronger than that on others. When the dilution concentration exceeded 100 times, the antibacterial effect was not ideal. The sensitivity of the tested bacteria to the essential oils followed the order Staphylococcus aureus > Salmonella > Pseudomonas fluorescens > Escherichia coli. Further, LJ-V essential oil had an ideal capacity to scavenge free radicals when compared to Vc control groups. Under the optimized conditions, the essential oil extraction rate was higher, and the process was stable and feasible. This study could provide theoretical and technical support for the cultivation, comprehensive development, and processing of Ligusticum jeholense Nakai et Kitag. resources.