Chemical composition,antioxidant activity and anti‐lipase activity of Origanum vulgare and Lippia turbinata essential oils

This study reported the chemical composition, phenolic content, antioxidant and anti‐lipase activity of oregano and Lippia essential oils. The major compounds found in oregano essential oil were γ‐terpinene (32.10%), α‐terpinene (15.10%), p‐cymene (8.00%) and thymol (8.00%). In Lippia essential oil, α‐limonene (76.80%) and 1,8‐cineole (4.95%) represented the major compounds. Oregano essential oil had higher phenolic content (12.47 mg gallic acid mL^?1) and DPPH scavenging activity (IC₅₀ 0.357 μg mL^?1) than Lippia essential oil (7.94 mg gallic acid mL^?1 and IC₅₀ 0.400 μg mL^?1, respectively). Both essential oils had similar antioxidant indexes (about 1.2) determined by Rancimat. Moreover, oregano essential oil had also higher anti‐lipase activity (IC₅₀ 5.09 and 7.26 μg mL^?1). Higher phenolic content in the essential oils was related with higher scavenging and anti‐lipase activities. Oregano and Lippia essential oils could be used as natural antioxidants on food products.     

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.     

Antioxidant activity of twenty wild Spanish Thymus mastichina L. populations and its relation with their chemical composition

The antioxidant activity and chemical composition of essential oils and methanolic extracts of twenty Spanish Thymus mastichina L. populations were studied. Both essential oils and methanolic extracts possessed antioxidant properties. However, the total phenol contents of the methanolic extracts varied between 2.90 and 9.15 mg GAE/g_extract and the EC₂₅ values of DPPH free radical scavenging activity between 0.90 and 3.45 mg/mL for the methanolic extracts and 78–241 mg/mL for essential oils, these showing low antioxidant potential. Actually, in essential oils the main compound determined was the 1,8-cineole (56.8–69.6%), whereas thymol, γ-terpinene, terpinolene and geraniol (species with considerable DPPH scavenging activity) were observed in low amounts. Concerning methanolic extracts, rosmarinic acid was the most abundant polyphenol (1.70–9.85 mg/g), followed by methoxysalicylic acid, apigenin, kaempferol and luteolin.     

Essential oils of Origanum vulgare L. subsp. glandulosum (Desf.) Ietswaart from Tunisia: chemical composition and antioxidant activity

BACKGROUND: Characterisation of the essential oils from O. glandulosum collected in three locations of Tunisia, chemical composition and the evaluation of their antioxidant activities were carried out. RESULTS: The essential oils from Origanum vulgare L. subsp. glandulosum (Desf.) Ietswaart collected from three localities of north Tunisia—Krib, Bargou and Nefza—were obtained in yields of 2.5, 3.0 and 4.6% (v/w), respectively. The essential oils were analysed by GC and GC/MS and assayed for their total phenolics content, by the Folin–Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant effectiveness, using the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The main components of these essential oils, from Nefza, Bargou and Krib, were p‐cymene (36%, 40% and 46%), thymol (32%, 39% and 18%), γ‐terpinene (24%, 12% and 16%) and carvacrol (2%, 2% and 15%), respectively). The ability to scavenge the DPPH radicals, expressed by IC₅₀, ranged from 59 to 80 mg L^?1. The total phenolic content, expressed in gallic acid equivalent (GAE) g kg^?1 dry weight, varied from 9.37 to 17.70 g kg^?1 dw. CONCLUSIONS: A correlation was identified between the total phenolic content of the essential oils and DPPH radical scavenger capacity. The occurrence of a p‐cymene chemotype of O. glandulosum in the northern region of Tunisia is demonstrated. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

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     

Bioactivities of essential oil and extract of Thymus argaeus,Turkish endemic wild thyme

BACKGROUND: Thymus argaeus Boiss. & Bal. (Lamiaceae), an endemic plant species of Turkey known as wild thyme, is traditionally used as a spice and a wild tea in the Inner Anatolia region of Turkey. In this study the composition of the essential oil and the antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of the methanolic extract and essential oil of T. argaeus were determined. RESULTS: The main components of the essential oil were linalool (499 g kg^?1), α‐terpineol (150 g kg^?1), linalyl acetate (97 g kg^?1) and thymol (94 g kg^?1). The total phenolic, flavanol and flavonol contents of the extract were 83.31 ± 0.59 mg gallic acid equivalent g^?1, 6.26 ± 0.00 mg catechin equivalent g^?1 and 28.81 ± 0.21 mg rutin equivalent g^?1 respectively. The antioxidant activities of the extract and essential oil determined by the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical‐scavenging method were 830.18 ± 0.42 and 20.47 ± 2.3 mg g^?1 respectively. The antimicrobial activities of the extract and essential oil against 13 bacteria and two yeasts were studied by the agar diffusion method. The micro‐organisms most sensitive to the essential oil were Aeromonas hydrophila and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while the micro‐organism most sensitive to the extract was P. aeruginosa. CONCLUSION: Only the extract of T. argaeus could be used as a natural antioxidant, while both the extract and the essential oil could be useful as natural antimicrobial agents in food preservation. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Chemical composition,antioxidant and cytotoxicity activities of the essential oils of Myristica fragrans and Morinda citrifolia

BACKGROUND: In this study the chemical composition, antioxidant activities and cytotoxic effect of the essential oils of Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) and Morinda citrifolia (mengkudu) were determined. RESULTS: Thirty‐eight compounds in nutmeg oil and six compounds in mengkudu oil were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The free radical scavenging activity of nutmeg oil was superior of that mengkudu oil. The MTT assay of nutmeg oil on human colorectal carcinoma (HCT‐116) and human breast carcinoma (MCF‐7) cell lines showed IC₅₀ values of 78.61 and 66.45 µg mL^?1, respectively. The mengkudu oil exhibited IC₅₀ values of 91.46 and 78.15 µg mL^?1 for HCT‐116 and MCF‐7, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results showed that nutmeg oil can be developed as potent anti‐cancer and antioxidant drugs. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

The influence of harvest time on essential oil composition,phenolic constituents and antioxidant properties of Turkish oregano (Origanum onites L.)

BACKGROUND: The aim of this research was to determine essential oil composition, phenolic constituents and antioxidant properties of Turkish oregano (Origanum onites L.) leaves harvested during the months of June to September. RESULT: The maximum essential oil yield in the leaves appeared in the middle of July. The main components of oregano oil were carvacrol, thymol, γ‐terpinene, p‐cymene, α‐terpinene and α‐pinene. Carvacrol was highest in the July harvest. The maximum extract yield was found in September. Oil distilled from early‐season (June) harvested leaves had the highest antioxidant ability, expressed as low concentration providing 50% inhibition of free radical scavenging activity and high levels of reducing/antioxidant capacity. Twelve phenolic compounds of oregano extract were identified and the main components were found to be rosmarinic acid and acecetin. The maximum rosmarinic acid and acecetin were found in harvests of July and June, respectively. Total phenolic contents, free radical scavenging activities and reducing/antioxidant capacities were found to be highest in the July harvest. DISCUSSION: All yields, chemical compositions, free radical scavenging activities and reducing/antioxidant capacities of extracts and essential oils of Turkish oregano changed importantly depending on vegetative periods of growing season. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Determination of antioxidant activities of various extracts and essential oil compositions of Thymus praecox subsp. skorpilii var. skorpilii

The aim of this work is to examine the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of separated essential oils and different solvent extracts of Thymus praecox subsp. skorpilii var. skorpilii (TPS). The ethanol, acetone, methanol, hexane, aqueous extracts and separated essential oils of TPS were assessed for their antioxidant activities. Antioxidant activities were evaluated by reduction of Mo(VI) to Mo(V), reducing power, superoxide scavenging activity, free radical-scavenging activity, metal chelating activity, linoleic acid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity and peroxide scavenging activity. Essential oils were characterized in total to be 41 components, whereas 9 components were isolated by column chromatography for antioxidant activity. TPS essential oil was found to contain thymol (40.31%) and o-cymene (13.66%) as the major components. The ethanol, methanol and water extracts exerted significant free radical-scavenging activity. The methanol and water extracts displayed highest superoxide scavenging activity. The water extract has the highest total phenolics (6.211 mg gallic acid (GAE)/g DW) and flavonoids (0.809 mg quercetin/g DW).     

Chemical composition and biological activities of Algerian Thymus oils

The compositions of essential oils isolated from nine samples of three Thymus species (Thymus algeriensis, Thymus pallescens and Thymus dréatensis) were analysed by GC and GC–MS, and a total of 114 components were identified. T. pallescens collected from various regions showed a great similarity in their compositions and were characterised by carvacrol (44.4–57.7%), p-cymene (10.3–17.3%) and γ-terpinene (10.8–14.2%) as the major components for four samples; only one sample was thymol-rich (49.3%) with a small amount of carvacrol (9.0%). On the other hand, T. algeriensis showed a chemical polymorphism, even for samples from the same location, and two new chemotypes for this species were proposed. Oxygen-containing monoterpenes were the predominant class (76.3%) in T. dreatensis oil, with linalool (30.4%), thymol (20.2%) and geraniol (19.6%) as the principal constituents. The oils were screened for their possible antioxidant activities by four complementary assays, namely DPPH free radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and reducing power. The two new chemotypes of T. algeriensis exhibited strong hydroxyl radical scavenging (IC₅₀ = 2.2–3.3 μg/ml), but were not or only slightly active against the other radicals and exhibited a weak reducing power. Despite their chemical similarity, T. pallescens oils sometimes produced significant differences in their antioxidant activities. The essential oils were also screened for their antimicrobial activity against five bacteria (three Gram-positive and two Gram-negative) and one yeast (Candida albicans). The tested essential oils showed antimicrobial activity against the microorganisms used, in particular against two important pathogens, C. albicans and Helicobacter pylori.     

植物油的不同组分DPPH自由基清除能力及其与微量有益成分含量的相关性

研究评估13种常见植物油的极性组分、非极性组分和全油样品的DPPH自由基清除能力,并将DPPH自由基清除能力与生育酚、多酚、植物甾醇等微量有益成分含量进行相关性分析。结果表明:橄榄油、芝麻油、小麦胚芽油和米糠油极性组分的DPPH自由基清除能力高于其他植物油,均大于200μmol TE/100 g;植物油非极性组分的DPPH自由基清除能力在10.53~553.20μmol TE/100 g之间,小麦胚芽油和米糠油的清除能力较高;植物油全油的DPPH自由基清除效果比非极性组分的略高;植物油非极性组分、植物油全油的DPPH自由基清除能力与生育酚含量、β-谷甾醇含量、菜油甾醇含量呈显著相关(P0.01);植物油极性组分的DPPH自由基清除能力则与多酚含量呈显著相关(P0.05)。     

Chemical composition,antioxidative capacity and interactive antimicrobial potency of Satureja khuzestanica Jamzad essential oil and antimicrobial agents against selected food‐related microorganisms

This study aimed to determine the chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidative activity of Satureja khuzestanica Jamzad essential oil. The oil was analysed by GC and GC/MS. Twenty‐eight constituents were identified. The oxygenated monoterpenes (78.22%) were the principal compound group. Among them, carvacrol (53.86%) and thymol (19.84%) were the most abundant constituents. The oil exhibited an acceptable antimicrobial activity against most of the tested microorganisms. The checkerboard method was applied to determine fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICIs) to interpret the synergetic, additive, indifference or antagonistic interactions between essential oil and each of antimicrobials (lysozyme, ciprofloxacin, fluconazole and amphotericin B) against food‐related microorganisms. The synergetic phenomenon (FICI ≤ 0.5) was observed in majority of combinations with the exception of the essential oil and lysozyme. The oil exhibited good 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 28.71 μg mL^?1). Also, the oil had strong antioxidative activity in β‐carotene‐linoleic acid assay relative antioxidant activity (RAA% = 95.45). This study demonstrated that the essential oil has beneficial biological properties and its simultaneous application with standard antimicrobials against food‐related microorganisms result in reduction in inhibitory doses of the antimicrobials in vitro.     

Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the essential oil and methanol extracts of Bidens frondosa Linn

Antibacterial and antioxidant potential of essential oil, extract and its fractions of Bidens frondosa Linn were evaluated. Sixty‐one components representing 95.41% of the total oil were identified. The essential oil (7.5 μL disc^?1), methanol extract and its different organic subfractions (0.5 μg disc^?1) of B. frondosa displayed a great potential of antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538 and KCTC 1916), Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19116, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Pseudomonas aeruginosa KCTC 2004, Salmonella enteritidis KCTC 12021 and Enterobacter aerogenes KCTC 2190. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by using 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The free radical scavenging activity of ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction was superior to all other fractions (IC₅₀ = 11.96 μg mL^?1), which was higher than synthetic antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole, (IC₅₀ = 18.27 μg mL^?1). Furthermore, the amount of total phenolic compounds was determined and its content in EtOAc fraction was the highest as compared to methanol extract or other fractions. The results indicate that the oil and extracts of B. frondosa could serve as an important bio‐resource of antimicrobial agents and antioxidants for using in the food industries.     

Chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the essential oils of Etlingera elatior and Cinnamomum pubescens Kochummen

BACKGROUND: Plant essential oils are widely used as fragrances and flavours. Therefore, the essential oils from the leaves of Cinnamomum pubescens Kochummen (CP) and the whole plant of Etlingera elatior (EE) were investigated for their antioxidant, antibacterial and phytochemical properties. RESULTS: CP and EE were found to contain appreciable levels of total phenolic contents (50.6 and 33.41 g kg^?1 as gallic acid equivalent) and total flavonoid contents (205.6 and 244.8 g kg^?1 as rutin equivalent), respectively. DPPH free radical scavenging activity of CP is superior to EE (P < 0.05) showing IC₅₀ of 77.2 and 995.1 µg mL^?1, respectively. Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella choleraesuis were tested against CP and EE. Only MRSA was the most susceptible bacteria to CP. GC/MS studies resulted in the identification of 79 and 73 compounds in CP and EE, respectively. The most abundant components of EE included β‐pinene (24.92%) and 1‐dodecene (24.31%). While the major compound in CP were 1,6‐octadien‐3‐ol,3,7‐dimethyl (11.55%), cinnamaldehyde (56.15%) and 1‐phenyl‐propane‐2,2‐diol diethanoate (11.38%). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the essential oils from Cinnamomum pubescens Kochummen and Etlingera elatior could be potentially used as a new source of natural antioxidant and antibacterial in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Natural volatile treatments increase free‐radical scavenging capacity of strawberries and blackberries

Free‐radical scavenging capacities of strawberries and blackberries treated with methyl jasmonate (MJ), allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea‐tree oil or TTO), and ethanol (EtOH) were investigated. All of these natural volatiles tested reduced the severity of decay in both strawberries and blackberries during storage at 10 °C as compared to the control. Most of these compounds enhanced antioxidant capacity and free‐radical scavenging capacity, except the AITC treatment. The MJ treatment for strawberries and blackberries had the highest antioxidant capacity, expressed as oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values, after 7 days of storage. Moreover, the MJ treatment promoted the antioxidant capacity in strawberries and blackberries as measured by the radical 2,2‐di (4‐tert‐octylphenyl) ‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the radical cation 2,2′‐azinobis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS^?+) scavenging activity in both 7 and 14 days after storage. The MJ treatment also increased scavenging capacities on the superoxide radical (O₂^??), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), hydroxyl radical (^?OH), and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) in strawberries and blackberries. Treatment with TTO or EtOH enhanced most of these free‐radical scavenging capacities, except for H₂O₂ in strawberries, and for O₂^?? and ¹O₂ in blackberries. These results indicated that all of the natural volatile compounds tested in this study, except AITC, promoted the antioxidant capacity and scavenging capacity of most major free radicals and, thus, helped to improve the physiology of berry fruits and enhanced their resistance to decay. While AITC was also very effective in reducing decay, its effect on free‐radical scavenging capacity was inconsistent, suggesting that additional mechanisms may be involved in its inhibition of fungal growth. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Screening of medium composition for the free radical‐scavenging properties by Antrodia cinnamomea

The effects of nutritional conditions on the scavenging capacity on superoxide anion radical and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical of ethanolic extracts from filtrates of Antrodia cinnamomea were investigated in shake‐flask cultures. Culture medium significantly affected inhibition of superoxide anion generation and DPPH free radical scavenging activity. In contrast, both scavenging capabilities on superoxide anion radical and DPPH free radical were found to be greatly affected by varying the carbon source, the nitrogen source, the growth factors or the trace elements. The maximal inhibition of superoxide anion generation could be obtained when the culture medium compositions were: xylose, ammonium oxalate, nicotinic acid, NaH₂PO₄ and CuSO₄; while a maximal DPPH free radical scavenging activity could be achieved when the medium composition setting as: fructose, peptone, nicotinic acid, KH₂PO₄ and CaCl₂ (the scavenging effects on superoxide anion radical and DPPH free radical were increased to 96.3 ± 0.3% and 29.0 ± 1.0%, respectively). We proved that controlling the culturing conditions and modifying the composition of the medium can dramatically enhance the scavenging ability on superoxide anion radical and DPPH free radical of A. cinnamomea.     

Antibacterial activities of essential oils and extracts of Turkish Achillea,Satureja and Thymus species against plant pathogenic bacteria

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were to examine the chemical composition of the essential oils and hexane extracts of the aerial parts of Satureja spicigera (C. Koch) Boiss., Thymus fallax Fisch. & CA Mey, Achillea biebersteinii Afan, and Achillea millefolium L. by GC and GC–MS, and to test antibacterial efficacy of essential oils and n‐hexane, chloroform, acetone and methanol extracts as an antibacterial and seed disinfectant against 25 agricultural plant pathogens. RESULTS: Thymol, carvacrol, p‐cymene, thymol methyl ether and γ‐terpinene were the main constituents of S. spicigera and T. fallax oils and hexane extracts. The main components of the oil of Achillea millefolium were 1,8‐cineole, δ‐cadinol and caryophyllene oxide, whereas the hexane extract of this species contained mainly n‐hexacosane, n‐tricosane and n‐heneicosane. The oils and hexane extracts of S. spicigera and T. fallax exhibited potent antibacterial activity over a broad spectrum against 25 phytopathogenic bacterial strains. Carvacrol and thymol, the major constituents of S. spicigera and T. fallax oils, also showed potent antibacterial effect against the bacteria tested. The oils of Achillea species showed weak antibacterial activity. Our results also revealed that the essential oil of S. spicigera, thymol and carvacrol could be used as potential disinfection agents against seed‐borne bacteria. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that S. spicigera, T. fallax oils, carvacrol and thymol could become potentials for controlling certain important agricultural plant pathogenic bacteria and seed disinfectant. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Polygonum cognatum Meissn extracts

The antioxidant activities, reducing powers, 2,2‐diphenyl‐l‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical‐scavenging activities, total phenolic compound contents and antimicrobial activities of ether, ethanol and hot water extracts of Polygonum cognatum Meissn were studied in vitro. The highest antioxidant activity was found in the water extract. However, there were no statistically significant differences among 15 µg ml^?1 extract‐containing samples in linoleic acid emulsion (0.02 M , pH 7.0) during 120 h of incubation (P > 0.05). The reducing power of the water extract was the highest, but its reducing power was markedly lower than that of ascorbic acid. The highest DPPH radical‐scavenging activity was found in the water extract, with 50% DPPH radical scavenging at a concentration of 100 µg ml^?1 dried water extract, while at the same concentration of dried ethanol extract the value was 12%. Surprisingly, no DPPH radical‐scavenging activity was observed in the ether extract. The concentrations of phenolic compounds found were 0.48, 0.50 and 0.01 µg ml^?1 gallic acid equivalent in 10 µg ml^?1 water, ethanol and ether extracts respectively. The ether and ethanol extracts showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. The water extract did not show antimicrobial activity against the studied micro‐organisms. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

The influence of organ,season and drying method on chemical composition and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Juniperus phoenicea L. essential oils

BACKGROUND: Juniperus phoenicea is an important medicinal plant. In the present study, essential oils (18 samples) from leaves and berries of Juniperus phoenicea L. (Cupressaceae), obtained by various drying methods and in different collection months, were analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and also evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Correlations were studied between antimicrobial activity and the chemical composition of essential oils. RESULTS: Sixty‐seven compounds were identified in essential oils, representing 97.7–100%. Essential oils were dominated by monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, which presented 35.0–93.3% and 6.7–62.0%, respectively, depending of organ, season and drying method. Antimicrobial tests showed that essential oils strongly inhibited the growth of Gram‐positive microorganisms and Mucor ramamnianus, but was inactive against Gram‐negative strains. Antioxidant activity was tested using the ABTS radical‐scavenging assay. Most samples showed good activity (the best IC₅₀ = 41.7 ± 1.5 mg L^?1). CONCLUSIONS: It could be concluded that drying of leaves of J. phoenicea in the sun and berries in oven‐drying was more suitable and was recommended for obtaining higher essential oil yield, but for a higher percentage of some special components such as α‐pinene and δ‐3‐carene shade‐drying was more suitable. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

The in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil and various extracts of Origanum syriacum L var bevanii

The present work examines the in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the essential oil and various extracts from the herbal parts of Origanum syriacum L var bevanii. Polar subfractions of methanol extracts from both deodorised and non‐deodorised materials showed the highest DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐l‐picrylhydrazyl) radical‐scavenging activity, with IC₅₀ values of 21.40 and 26.98 µg ml^?1 respectively, whereas the IC₅₀ of the essential oil was 134.00 µg ml^?1. The antioxidant potential of the extracts appeared to be closely related to the presence of polar phenolics. However, the inhibitive effect on linoleic acid oxidation might be promoted by the presence of non‐polar phenolics, as both hexane and dichloromethane extracts showed high antioxidant activities. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was superior to those of the other extracts. Nineteen compounds representing 962 g kg^?1 of the essential oil were identified; carvacrol (669 g kg^?1) was the main component. Overall, the results suggest that the essential oil and extracts from the herbal parts of O syriacum could be used as natural preservative ingredients in the food industry. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry