Abstract
In this study, the chemical composition, antimicrobial activity and antioxidant capacity of essential oils obtained from oregano (Origanum onites L.), sage (Salvia triloba L.), mint (Mentha piperita L.), and laurel (Laurus nobilus L.) were determined. The essential oil components were identified by gas chromatography (GC) analysis. The antimicrobial activity of the oils was determined against some pathogenic and lactic acid bacteria using a disc diffusion method. The total antioxidant capacity was evaluatedspectrophotometrically as α-tocopherol equivalent. The GC analysis showed that the major constituents of the oils were monoterpene hydrocarbons and phenolic monoterpenes, but the concentration of these compounds varied greatly among the oils examined. The main components of the essential oil were carvacrol, menthol, 1-8 cineole, thujon, camphor and menthone. The results of the antimicrobial assay showed that majority of essential oils showed varied levels of antimicrobial activity against the tested indicator strains. Also, all essential oils exhibited antioxidant effect on oils used in the experiment. The results of this study confirmed the possibility of using some essential oils in food as preservation systems for growth of foodborne bacteria, improving antioxidant properties and extend the shelf-life of processed foods. Key words: Essential oil, chemical composition, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant capacity, medicinal and aromatic plants
Highlights
Since ancient times, the crude herbal extracts of aromatic plants have been in use for different purposes such as food, perfumery and drugs
The chemical composition, antimicrobial activity and antioxidant capacity of essential oils obtained from oregano (Origanum onites L.), sage (Salvia triloba L.), mint (Mentha piperita L.), and laurel (Laurus nobilus L.) were determined
The results show that while it was effective on S. aureus and E. coli, there was no effect on P. aeruginosa
Summary
The crude herbal extracts of aromatic plants have been in use for different purposes such as food, perfumery and drugs. Many medicinal plants contain large amount of antioxidants, such as polyphenols, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, ß carotene, lycopene, lutein and other carotenoids which play important roles in adsorbing and neutralizing free radicals (Djeridane et al, 2006). Many studies have shown that phenolic compounds in medicinal plant essential oils display antioxidant activity as a result of their capacity to scavenge free radicals (Seyoum et al, 2006; Ozkan et al, 2010). The essential oils from medicinal plants have been confirmed to possess antioxidant activities (Baratta et al, 1998; Bozin et al, 2007; Tepe et al, 2004; Wei and Shibamoto, 2010; Politeo et al, 2007).
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