Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of the Essential Oil from Cupressus arizonica Greene Cones Against Clinical and Foodborne

Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterize the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) derived from the cones of Cupressus arizonica Greene collected from Erzincan and to evaluate its antibacterial potential against a range of pathogenic microorganisms, including strains not previously investigated for this species. Methods: The essential oil was obtained from fresh cones via hydrodistillation for 4 hours. Chemical profiling was performed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The antibacterial activity was assessed against six pathogenic bacteria using the disc diffusion method, with imipenem serving as a positive control. Results: GC-MS analysis identified 35 compounds, representing 93.83% of the total oil. The major components were α -pinene (53.02%), 3-carene (13.31%), α -myrcene (4.54%), sabinene (4.24%), and limonene (3.47%). The oil exhibited selective antibacterial activity, with inhibition zones recorded for Salmonella enterica (10.0 ± 0.3 mm), Clostridium perfringens (8.1 ± 0.5 mm), and Bacillus cereus (8.0 ± 0.6 mm). However, no inhibitory effect was observed against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. Conclusion: This study identifies a distinct α-pinene/3-carene chemotype of C. arizonica influenced by the regional flora of Erzincan. Notably, this research represents the first report of the inhibitory efficacy of C. arizonica cone essential oil against the anaerobic pathogen Clostridium perfringens. The findings suggest that this essential oil could be a promising natural candidate for targeted applications against certain foodborne and anaerobic pathogens.