Abstract
Essential oils of the fruits of three organically grown cultivars of Egyptian fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum, Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce and Foeniculum vulgare var. vulgare) were examined for their chemical constituents, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of the essential oils revealed the presence of 18 major monoterpenoids in all three cultivars but their percentage in each oil were greatly different. trans-Anethole, estragole, fenchone and limonene were highly abundant in all of the examined oils. Antioxidant activities of the essential oils were evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging, lipid peroxidation and metal chelating assays. Essential oils from the azoricum and dulce cultivars were more effective antioxidants than that from the vulgare cultivar. Antimicrobial activities of each oil were measured against two species of fungi, two species of Gram negative and two species of Gram positive bacteria. All three cultivars showed similar antimicrobial activity.
Highlights
Foeniculum vulgare Mill. is a biennial medicinal plant belonging to the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)
Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCMS) analysis revealed the presence of 18 major chemicals in all three of the oils
Antioxidant activity of the three essential oils was evaluated by several complementary tests consisting of the DPPH free radical scavenging, the ferric reducing power (FRAP) assay, thiobarbituric acid reactive species assay (TBARS) and the ferrous ion-chelating (FIC) assay, using butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and ascorbic acid as references or positive controls
Summary
Foeniculum vulgare Mill. is a biennial medicinal plant belonging to the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae). Essential oil of fennel is used as flavoring agents in food products such as beverages, bread, pickles, pastries, and cheese. It is used as a constituent of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products [1]. Herbal drugs and essential oils of fennel have hepatoprotective effects [2], as well as antispasmodic effects [3]. They are known for their diuretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant activities [4]. This research was, conducted to comparatively examine the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the three organically grown fennel cultivars
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