Volatile Composition and Bioactivity Assessment of Wurfbainia schmidtii Essential Oils from Thailand

This research examined the volatile composition and biological activities of essential oils obtained from Wurfbainia schmidtii, collected from Western Thailand. Essential oils were extracted from the aerial parts (leaves and stems) and rhizomes, and analyzed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME)  and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The analysis revealed 25 volatile compounds in the aerial oil and 33 in the rhizome oil. Both oils demonstrated potent bioactivity in inhibiting tyrosinase, with IC₅₀ values of 0.55 µg/mL and 1.24 µg/mL for aerial and rhizome oils, and significant antioxidant potential (IC₅₀ = 12.94 mg/mL and 27.07 mg/mL, respectively). The oils also exhibited moderate to low antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), with MIC and MBC values between 50 and 100 mg/mL. These findings highlighted the potential of W. schmidtii essential oils in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications, particularly for their antioxidative and skin-enhancing properties.