Antimicrobial, Herbicidal and pesticidal potential of Tunisian eucalyptus species: Chemoprofiling and biological evaluation.

ABSTRACT

The Eucalyptus genus, characterized by its imposing stature and fragrant foliage, has been a source of fascination for humanity over the centuries. The focus of the present investigation was directed towards the essentials oils (EOs) of five Eucalyptus trees cultivated in Tunisia. The GC-MS analysis unveiled unique compositional profiles, a finding substantiated by both Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) conducted on the leaves EOs. These analyses resulted in the formation of discrete HCA clades, delineating 23 significant components. Notably, the percentage of eucalyptol emerged as the pivotal factor demarcating the separation between three distinct groups. The statistical analysis revealed a dose-dependent relationship in both phytotoxicity evaluation and antibacterial activity. The EOs from Eucalyptus loxophleba and E. salubris exhibited the highest phytotoxicity, inhibiting radical elongation and germination of various seeds, especially Sinapis arvensis and Raphanus sativus. The antimicrobial assessment demonstrated significant inhibitory effects of the EOs on bacterial strains, with MIC values spanning from 14 to exceeding 50 mg/ml. The EOs also affected biofilm formation and cellular metabolism, displaying varied efficacy among different Eucalyptus species against some bacterial strains. The EOs exhibited selective inhibition against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), α-amylase, and α-glucosidase. E. campaspe EO showed the highest AChE activity, while E. loxophleba and E. salubris EOs were most potent toward α-amylase. E. loxophleba EO demonstrated notable activity against α-glucosidase. Overall, these findings provide important data about the diverse biological activities of Eucalyptus EOs, suggesting potential applications in agriculture, medicine, and pharmacy.