Antimicrobial Activity of the Methanolic Fraction of Bamboo Pyroligneous Liquor

Considering that the pyroligneous liquor obtained from pyrolysis of various types of biomass has antiviral activity, the main objective of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial action of the methanolic fraction extracted from bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper) pyroligneous liquor in relation to Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The pyroligneous liquor was recovered by laboratorial bamboo pyrolysis at 350 °C and then fractioned by liquid-liquid separation with methanol and hexane. After solvent evaporation, we collected the methanolic extract, which was later diluted in methanol and used in the diffusion disc assay of E. coli and S. aureus at concentrations of 0.125, 0.500, 0.750 and 1.000 mg. Through GC/MS analysis, it was possible to qualitatively identify 92 chemical compounds in the methanolic fraction. Treatment with the methanolic fraction inhibited cellular growth and caused a variety of morphological variations in size as well as deformities in the bacterial cell walls, establishing an antimicrobial activity profile. This finding supports the National Policy for Incentives for Sustainable Management and Cultivation of Bamboo (PNMCB) and has benefits to the society and environment as a whole, as it demonstrates the possibility of adding value to a byproduct of pyrolysis.