Antimicrobial activity of the polar and nonpolar extracts of the roots and aerial parts of Peucedanum ruthenicum M. Bieb., Johreniopsis seseloides (C. A. Mey.) Pimenov and Cervaria cervariifolia (C. A. Mey.) Pimenov were examined against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The polar extracts of the roots and aerial parts displayed no activity against bacteria, while the nonoplar extracts of the roots which contains coumarins, presented activity against Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli.

Johreniopsis seseloides (C.A.MEY) Pimenov (Umbelliferae) was collected from Tehran and Kurdistan provinces in August 2004. The essential oil of the plant powdered aerial parts which were prepared by hydro-distillation and Clevenger type apparatus were about 0.1% and 0.15% (v/w) respectively. The oil had pale yellow color and intensive odor. The essential oils were analyzed with GC/MS. Thirty six compounds were identified from two plants, accounting 77.19% and 97.04% of the oil contents respectively. The essential oil of J.seseloides from Darake (Tehran province) contains monoterpenes (24.05%) and sesquiterpenes (43.19%). The essential oil of J.seseloides collected from Gardaneh Haris Kurdistan (Kurdistan province) contains monoterpenes (69.67%) and sesquiterpenes (26.69%). The main constituents of the essential oil of J.seseloides from Tehran were spathulenol (18.21%) and α-terpineol (7.97%), followed by hexahydro-farnesyl acetone (7.05%) and α-pinene (6.98%). Other monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, either as hydrocarbons or oxygenated, were present in smaller amounts. The essential oil of J.seseloides from Kordestan province was found to be rich in α-pinene (26.25%), α-bornyl acetate (12.36%), limonene (10.32%), α-fenchyl acetate (9.06%) and β-caryophyllene (8.58%). The essential oil of other species of Johreniopsis has not been investigated up to now and this is the first report about essential oil components of J.seseloides.