Retention of antioxidant activity in gamma irradiated argentinian sage and oregano

The effect of 30 kGy of gamma radiation on the antioxidant activity of methanolic and aqueous extracts prepared from dry gamma irradiated sage and oregano were analysed. The antioxidant activity was characterised by DPPH radical test and by reducing power assay within an extract concentration range of 0–40 mg/ml of methanol or water. In addition, the total phenolic content in the extracts was determined. From the EC₅₀ estimated values, it was established that, by both methods, oregano extracts showed a higher antioxidant activity than sage extracts. Oregano extracts also showed a phenolic content significantly higher than sage extracts. A good correlation between the phenolic content and the antioxidant activity was also observed. The 30 kGy dose applied to dry sage and oregano for sanitization did not significantly affect the capacity to inhibit the DPPH radical or the reducing power, nor did it affect the total phenolic content of the methanolic and aqueous extract.     

Antioxidant activity of extracts obtained by different isolation procedures from some aromatic herbs grown in Lithuania

An increasing demand for natural additives has shifted the attention from synthetic to natural antioxidants. The present work examines the potential of some aromatic herbs grown in Lithuania as a source of natural antioxidants: marjoram (Majorana hortensis Moench), catnip (Nepeta cataria L), oregano (Origanum vulgare L), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L), hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L), anise hyssop (Lophantus anisatus Benth), and sage (Salvia officinalis L). Dried herb samples were submitted to extraction with supercritical CO₂, acetone or methanol/water and hydrodistillation. Deodorised herb samples (after removal of essential oil) were also extracted with acetone. The antioxidant activity of these extracts, essential oils and dried deodorised aqueous extracts was assessed by the β-carotene bleaching test (diffusion and spectrophotometric methods). The highest yields of extracts were obtained using polar solvents. Thyme and sage acetone oleoresins showed high antioxidant activity in the tests performed and were regarded as the most promising sources. © 1998 SCI.     

Effect of an acid treatment on the phytochemical and antioxidant characteristics of extracts from selected Lamiaceae species

Aqueous-methanol extracts were prepared from basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), bay (Laurus nobilis L.), oregano (Origanum vulgare L.), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.), savory (Satureja hortensis L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) by maceration and their phytochemical and antioxidant characteristics were assessed. Each extract was submitted to an acid treatment (1.2 N HCl in 50% methanol) to determine whether such a process had an effect upon their chemistry and antioxidative efficacy. The treatment appeared to have improved the antioxidant potency of the extracts in general; however, there were some exceptions. The treatment did not increase the Fe(III) reductive activity of the extracts from basil or bay samples nor the ability of the oregano and sage extracts to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals at pH 7.4. The Folin-Ciocalteu phenol content of the basil extract was not increased with acid treatment.     

Antioxidant activity in meat treated with oregano and sage essential oils

The antioxidant activity of meat treated (homogenized) with oregano and sage essential oils, during meat storage, was determined using the following assays: a thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay, a diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and a crocin assay. Porcine and bovine ground meat samples were divided into three experimental treatments, namely: control (no antioxidant), oregano (oregano essential oil 3% w/w) and sage (sage essential oil 3% w/w). Subsequently, the samples from each treatment were stored at 4 °C, in the raw and cooked (at 85 °C for 30 min) state, and the antioxidant activity was determined after 1, 4, 8 and 12 days of storage. The results showed that the essential oil treatments significantly reduced the oxidation, while the heat treatment and storage time significantly affected the antioxidant activity of the meat. The role of antioxidants appeared to be much more important in cooked meat than raw and the meat proteins greatly affected the antioxidant activity.     

Antioxidant activity of sweetgrass (Hierochloë odorata Wahlnb.) extract in lard and rapeseed oil emulsions

The antioxidant activities of sweetgrass (Hierochloë odorata) and sage (Salvia officinalis) extracts were studied in emulsions of lard and rapeseed oil using soy lecithin as an emulsifier, and addition of cupric acetate as an oxidation catalyst. The antioxidant activity was about the same in the two substrates. The stability against autoxidation was substantially increased by both sweetgrass and sage extracts and their combination. The stability was particularly high, if citric acid and/or ascorbyl palmitate were added to plant extracts.     

Effects of Turkish spice extracts at various concentrations on the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7

The antimicrobial activities of the extracts of seven spices (cumin, Helichrysum compactum Boiss (HC), laurel, myrtle, oregano, sage and thyme) were examined in their capacity to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Spices were fractionated by the extraction method to obtain a methanolic fraction. Of the spices tested, thyme showed promising results by inhibiting growth both in paper disc assay and agitated liquid culture assay. Antibacterial effects of tested spices extracts vary related to concentrations. Thyme and oregano showed higher activity than the others. It was also found that laurel and HC markedly stimulated the growth of E. coli O157:H7. Statistically, important variations were found among the inhibitory effects of spice extracts. This study has shown that E. coli O157:H7 inhibition by spice extracts may be of use in the field of food preservation.     

The Effects of Natural Extracts on the Quality Changes of Frozen Chub Mackerel (Scomber japonicus) Burgers

The effects of the use of natural antioxidants on the quality of frozen chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) burgers stored at ?18 °C were investigated in terms of sensory, biochemical (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances-TBARS, total volatile basic nitrogen, peroxide value and free fatty acids) and microbiological analyses (total viable count—TVC, total psychrotrophic count—TPC). Oregano, green tea, sage and laurel extracts were obtained by using steam distillation method. After that, thawed fish were headed, gutted and filleted. Fillets were then minced and divided into nine groups. These were the control without plant extract, O1 with 0.3% oregano extract, O2 with 0.6% oregano extract, G1 with 0.3% green tea extract, G2 with 0.6% green tea extract, S1 with 0.3% sage extract, S2 with 0.6% sage extract, L1 with 0.3% laurel extract and L2 with 0.6% laurel extract. Plant extracts together with burger ingredients were added to each group. All groups were stored at ?18 °C for 9 months. According to the results of sensory analyses, the control at 7 months of storage, oregano and green tea at 9 months of storage, sage and laurel groups at 8 months of storage were rejected by panellists and considered as unaccepptable. Natural extracts were effective in controlling biochemical indices. TVC content of fish burgers did not exceed the limit during storage period for all groups (<6 log CFU/g). TPC slightly decreased with storage time. Additions of oregano, green tea and laurel extracts except sage extract reduced (P?<?0.05) lipid oxidation in fish burger and have the potential to be incorporated into fish burgers.     

Antioxidant activity of essential oil of oregano species from Argentina in relation to their chemical composition

The purpose of this work was to determine chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oil of different oregano species from Argentina: ‘Cordobes’, ‘Criollo’, ‘Mendocino’ and ‘Compacto’. The essential oil composition was determined by gas–liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Scavenging activity was analysed by DPPH test. The antioxidant activity of the essential oils was determined by an accelerated oxidation test in canola oil. Thirty‐nine compounds were identified in the oregano essential oils. The oregano species showed differences in their chemical composition, radical scavenging activity and antioxidant activity. The main compounds in the studied oregano species were thymol and trans‐sabinene hydrate followed by γ‐terpinene, terpinen‐4‐ol and α‐terpinene. The oregano, ‘Criollo’, was rich in γ‐terpinene and had lower thymol and trans‐sabinene hydrate and higher α‐terpinene and carvacrol contents than the other oregano species. ‘Mendocino’ had higher trans‐sabinene hydrate and limonene than the other oregano species. ‘Cordobes’ and ‘Compacto’ had higher thymol content, radical scavenging activity and antioxidant activity in canola oil.     

Extracts of Mexican Oregano (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lippia berlandieri</Emphasis> Schauer) with Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity

Antimicrobial activity of fractions obtained from Mexican oregano (Lippia berlandieri Schauer) chloroform extract was tested by growth inhibition against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, and antioxidant capacity was tested by inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation. Fractions were obtained by differences in polarity or structure (phenolic and non-phenolic fraction). Gram-positive organisms were more susceptible to Mexican oregano extracts. Fraction 3 (by polarity) and phenolic fractions I, II, III, IV and V were the extracts with higher antimicrobial activity. The non-phenolic fraction had effect against B. cereus. Polarity fraction 5 and phenolic Fraction II had a high antioxidant capacity; a 0.08% concentration of fraction 5 had a similar effect as butylated hydroxytoluene at 0.01% concentration. Fractions of Mexican oregano with different polarity and functional groups had antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and can be used in a variety of applications.     

Effects of rosemary and sage tea extract on biogenic amines formation of sardine (Sardina pilchardus) fillets

Natural antimicrobials and antioxidants from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and sage tea (Salvia officinalis) were produced using solvent extraction method. The effect of two extracts on ammonia (AMN) and biogenic amines (BAs) formation in vacuum packed sardine (Sardina pilchardus) fillets stored at 3 ± 1 °C was investigated for 20 days. Although the effect of extracts was dependent on specific amine and storage time, phenolic compounds from rosemary and sage tea generally resulted in lower AMN and BAs accumulation in sardine muscle. Putrescine (PUT) and cadaverine (CAD) were the most abundant amines, while histamine (HIS) concentration ranged from 2.05 to 28.77 mg 100g^?1. Rosemary and sage tea extracts significantly reduced HIS, PUT, CAD and trimethylamine accumulation in the fish muscle (P < 0.05) while stimulating effect of extracts was observed on serotonin and agmatine formation. At the end of the storage period, PUT and CAD contents of control were 100‐fold higher than those of treated groups.     

Antioxidant activity screening of extracts from Sideritis species (Labiatae) grown in Bulgaria

Plant samples from several species and populations of the genus Sideritis (Labiatae) grown in Bulgaria (S scardica, S syriaca and S montana) were extracted with different solvents. Their antioxidant activities were determined by the β‐carotene bleaching test (BCBT), 2,2′‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^?) radical scavenging method and static headspace gas chromatography (HS‐GC) and compared with the antioxidant activity of two reference compounds of different polarity, viz butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and rosmarinic acid. The pure reference compounds were applied in a ten‐times lower concentration than the plant extracts. The highest antioxidant activity in the BCBT, close to that of BHT, was observed for the more apolar extracts. The inhibitory effect on β‐carotene bleaching of the polar extracts and rosmarinic acid was much lower than that of BHT. The inhibition of hexanal formation in bulk safflower oil by most of S syriaca and S scardica extracts was as effective as BHT but less so than rosmarinic acid. S montana extracts showed weak antioxidant or even pro‐oxidant properties. Extracts from butanol and from ethyl acetate and the total methanol extracts from all Sideritis plants studied showed a strong radical scavenging activity against DPPH^?, close to that of rosmarinic acid. S montana extracts were, as a whole, slightly weaker radical inhibitors than the extracts from the other two species. The antioxidant activity of Sideritis extracts was attributed to the presence of flavonoid and phenylpropanoid glycosides. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Physiological changes, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Salvia officinalis L. grown under saline conditions

BACKGROUND: Hydroponic culture was used to investigate the effect of NaCl concentrations on the growth, nutrient uptake, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Salvia officinalis L. leaves. The antioxidant capacity of the methanolic extract of S. officinalis was evaluated by using 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging test and β‐carotene‐linoleic acid bleaching assay. Physiological and biochemical parameters of S. officinalis were assessed after 4 weeks of salt treatment with 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mmol L^?1 NaCl. RESULTS: Plant growth exhibited a reduction of 61% at 100 mmol L^?1 NaCl. Assessment of Na⁺, K⁺ and Ca²⁺ and water contents of shoots and roots showed that S. officinalis is able to regulate Na⁺ concentration by active compartmentation in vacuoles. Salvia officinalis phenolics were increased in response to salinity at the threshold of 75 mmol L^?1 NaCl. This herb was also found to be able to achieve important DPPH^? quenching activity and to inhibit the β‐carotene‐linoleic acid bleaching notably enhanced by salt treatment. It is interesting to highlight the correlation between the phenolic and antioxidant activity, suggesting the involvement of these compounds in this activity. CONCLUSION: Salvia officinalis treated with 75 mmol L^?1 NaCl constitutes a potential source for production of secondary metabolites useful in several applications. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Determination of the presence of antioxidants deriving from sage and oregano extracts added to animal fat by means of assessment of the radical scavenging capacity by photochemiluminescence analysis

Herbs and their extracts with antioxidant capacity could be used directly as stabilisers of fat and indirectly as feed additives, in order to improve quality and shelf-life of meat and fat-containing food. In this work a sensitive analytical method is proposed for determination of the antioxidant activity measured by photochemiluminescence (PCL) in lard stabilised with extracts of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) or oreganum (Origanum vulgare L.). A prior step of purification of fat samples is required, in order to separate and concentrate the phenolics from lipidic substances. The method was validated by determination of recovery rate and repeatability. In addition fat samples originating from pigs fed with feed additives of Salviae folium or Origani herba were analysed to investigate the supposed antioxidative effects, that could increase the shelf-life of meat products. In contrast with lard mixed with extracts of sage or oregano, back fat samples originating from pigs fed with feed additives of the same herbs didn't show a higher antioxidant activity than the control group. On the one hand it seems possible to keep perishable fat-containing food longer by an addition of an extract of sage or oregano due to their antioxidative properties, on the other hand administration of feed additives of dried herbs to pigs had no effect on quality and shelf-life of fat obtained from these animals.     

Biological activities of the essential oil and methanolic extract of Micromeria fruticosa (L) Druce ssp serpyllifolia (Bieb) PH Davis plants from the eastern Anatolia region of Turkey

The in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the essential oil and methanolic extract of Micromeria fruticosa ssp serpyllifolia as well as the composition of the essential oil were examined. The essential oil exhibited activity against 14 bacteria, three fungi and a yeast, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 31.25 to 125 µl ml^?1, whilst the methanolic extract was inactive. Antioxidant activity was measured by two methods, namely scavenging of the free radical DPPH and inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation. The methanolic extract exhibited significant antioxidant activity in both assays, providing 50% inhibition at 70.9 ± 0.5 µg ml^?1 concentration in the DPPH assay and inhibiting linoleic acid oxidation to 59% at 2 mg ml^?1 concentration, whilst the essential oil showed activity only at higher concentrations. The gallic acid equivalent total phenolic content of the methanolic extract was found to be 55.2 ± 2.00 µg mg^?1 dry weight extract (5.5% w/w). The chemical composition of the hydrodistilled essential oil was analysed by means of GC/MS. Twenty‐nine constituents were identified, the main ones being piperitenone (50.61%) and pulegone (29.19%). Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus by Phenolic Phytochemicals of Selected Clonal Herbs Species of Lamiaceae Family and Likely Mode of Action through Proline Oxidation

Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram-positive organism, is responsible for numerous infections ranging in severity from skin and soft tissue infections to endocarditis and septic arthritis. Further, Staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) caused by enterotoxigenic staphylococci is one of the main food-borne diseases. In this study, several single-seed origin clonal lines of herbs from Lamiaceae family were screened for antimicrobial applications against S. aureus. These clonal lines have consistent total phenolic content, phenolic profile and antioxidant activity as opposed to heterogenous phenolic profiles of typical herbal extracts. The clonal extracts of specific herb species were evaluated for anti- S. aureus activity. Water extracts of clonal lemon balm had the highest anti- S. aureus activity followed by clonal extracts of rosemary RoLA, sage, oregano, rosemary Ro-6, rosemary RoK-2 and chocolate mint. The anti- S. aureus activity of the water extracts correlated with gallic acid and caffeic acid content, which in pure form showed high anti- S. aureus activity. Based on the rationale that gallic acid and caffeic acid were likely proline analogs affecting proline oxidation, the countering effect of proline to overcome their anti- S. aureus activity was evaluated. Results indicated proline can overcome the inhibitory effects of gallic acid and caffeic acid. These results point to the likely role of phenolic oxidation via proline dehydrogenase, which could be an important target for inhibition by phenolic phytochemicals behaving as proline analog mimics. This mode of regulation by phenolics at the bacterial proline dehydrogenase in the plasma membrane may be an important antimicrobial defense in plants and has consequences for disruption of critical energy metabolism of invading bacterial pathogen. This rationale could be used to design new antimicrobial strategies against S. aureus and other relevant bacterial pathogens.     

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of antioxidant fractions from selected Lamiaceae herbs and their antioxidant capacity

Antioxidant fractions from four herb spices belonging to the Lamiaceae family: rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), sage (Salvia officinalis), thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and hyssop (Hyssop officinalis) were isolated using supercritical CO₂ at 35 MPa and 100 °C. The antioxidant fractions were characterized chemically by HPLC-DAD/ESI-ToF-MS. Antioxidant activity of obtained extracts was determined by measuring their ability to scavenge stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical and reactive hydroxyl radical during the Fenton reaction trapped by 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyroline-N-oxide (DMPO), using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was compared to the activity of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Flavor' Plus? water-soluble rosemary extract. In DPPH radical assay the order from the strongest to the weakest antioxidant activity was: BHA, thyme extract, Flavor' Plus?, rosemary and sage extracts, and hyssop extract, while in hydroxyl radical assay order was: Flavor' Plus?, sage extract, rosemary extract, hyssop extract, BHA and thyme extract.Industrial relevanceSpices and herbs have been used not only for flavoring food but also for improving the overall quality of the product and to extend the shelf-life of foods. The present investigation relates to the field of food additives, and particularly to an antioxidant fractions from four herb spices which belong to the Lamiaceae family: rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), sage (Salvia officinalis), thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and hyssop (Hyssop officinalis). Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Flavor' Plus? are used in food industry as antioxidants due to their ability to prolong the shelf-life of foodstuffs by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity, colour changes, degradation of the flavor and loss of nutrient value. Synthetic antioxidants such as BHA now being replaced by natural antioxidants because of their possible toxicity and due to a suspected action as promoters of carcinogens. The present study confirms that investigated herb spices belonging to the Lamiaceae family present important sources for the production of food additives.     

Rapid screening of antioxidant activity of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) extracts obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide at different extraction conditions

Sage herb (Salvia officinalis L.) was extracted at supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) conditions with carbon dioxide at different parameters and the extracts tested on their antioxidant activity (AA). SFE of sage herb at 35 MPa pressure was found to be an effective method to obtain pure extracts. The yields of the extracts were substantially increased by using 1% of entrainer solvent ethanol. The fractionation of sage extract was a complex procedure in terms of extract distribution between separators operating at various pressure and temperature conditions. It was also proved by testing the AA of the extracts in rapeseed oil. The effect of the extracts on the rapeseed oil weight gain varied in a wide range (from ‘very low’ to ‘high’) depending on the fractionation conditions. Preliminary results showed that to obtain more effective antioxidant fractions separation steps should be started at 10 MPa lower pressure than that used for the extraction.     

In vitro inhibitory effects of rosemary extracts on growth and glucosyltransferase activity of Streptococcus sobrinus

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extract functions as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. In this study, we investigated in vitro effects of rosemary extracts on Streptococcus sobrinus growth and on its extracellular glucosyltransferase activity. The antibacterial activities of rosemary extracts were determined by the microdilution broth method. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of aqueous and methanolic rosemary extracts against S. sobrinus were 16 and 4 mg/ml, respectively. Glucosyltransferase activity was tested by incubating a crude enzyme preparation with sucrose and determining the amount of water-insoluble glucan formed. Both aqueous and methanolic extracts of rosemary markedly inhibited the formation of water-insoluble glucan. The 50% inhibitory doses of aqueous and methanolic extracts against the glucosyltransferases of S. sobrinus were 1.42 mg/ml and 0.34 mg/ml, respectively. Our results suggest that rosemary extract may prove effective for the inhibition of the growth of cariogenic oral streptococci.     

Chemical profiles of heated perilla meal extracts and their antioxidant activities

Chemical profiles of aqueous or ethanolic extracts of 140, 170 and 200 °C-heated perilla meal were identified by GC-MS, and antioxidant properties of the extracts were observed via in vitro assays and in bulk oil or oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion. A total of 22 and 27 chemicals were found in aqueous and ethanolic extracts from non-heated samples, respectively. As the heating temperature increased to 200 °C, the carbohydrate and derivative contents decreased significantly (P < 0.05), whereas rosmarinic acid concentration decreased in both extracts. Ethanolic extracts possessed higher antioxidant activities than aqueous extracts based on the results of radical scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays and the Rancimat assay, but there were no significant differences among samples (P > 0.05). In the case of O/W emulsions, aqueous extracts inhibited lipid oxidation more efficiently than ethanolic extracts at 50 °C. In particular, heat treatment decreased the antioxidant activities of ethanolic extracts and not aqueous extracts in the O/W emulsion system. Aqueous extracts are recommended in moisture-rich emulsion-based foods while ethanolic extracts are more suitable in a lipid-rich environment for enhancing oxidative stability.     

Compositions, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Helichrysum (Asteraceae) species collected from Turkey

The methanolic extracts of 16 Helichrysum species were investigated for their in vitro antioxidant, radical scavenging and antimicrobial activities. All the extracts showed strong antioxidant and radical scavenging activity. The highest total antioxidant capacity as ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE) of 194.64 mg/g dry extract was obtained for Helichrysum noeanum in the phosphomolybdenum assay. The highest IC₅₀ value (7.95 μg/ml) was observed for the extract of Helichrysum stoechas subsp. barellieri in the DPPH assay. The total phenolic contents of the extracts ranged from 66.74 to 160.63 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry extract. The major component present in the extracts was identified as chlorogenic acid followed by apigenin-7-glucoside and apigenin by HPLC analysis. All the extracts showed significant antimicrobial activity against microorganisms containing 13 bacteria and two yeasts in the agar diffusion method.