Composition and antifungal activity of the essential oil of Solidago chilensis.

Volatile constituents of the essential oils from leaves and inflorescences of Solidago chilensis Meyen were analyzed by GC-FID, GC-MS and 13C-NMR and thirty-six different compounds were identified. Pumiloxide, an unusual labdane diterpene, was found to be one of the major components in both oils (15.3 % and 12.3 %, respectively). Other important constituents were limonene and several sesquiterpenes, mainly gamma-cadinene. The antifungal activity of the leaf oil was assayed against five different strains of filamentous fungi and one yeast. Paper disk agar diffusion test showed human pathogenic dermatophytes to be the most sensitive.