This study was designed to evaluate antioxidant and antibacterial activities of essential oils from Rosmarinus officinalis obtained by three different extraction methods: DA: Artisanal distillation; the essential oils were obtained directly from small cooperatives using a very traditional (nonindustrial) method and based on the technique of Steam distillation; DI: Industrial distillation which is also based on steam distillation; and DC: hydrodistillation through Clevenger apparatus laboratory. The chemical analyses were carried out with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS); they identified 16 components representing more than 99.89% of the essential oil and indicate that the chemotype is 1,8-Cineole and varies according to the method used (DI: 49.09%, DA: 42.12%, and DC: 53.21%). The antioxidant activity was evaluated by the β-carotene bleaching test measuring percent inhibition of peroxidation in linoleic acid system. The disc diffusion and modified resazurin microtiter-plate assays were used, respectively, to evaluate the inhibition zones (IZ) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil. In general, Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil showed a lower antioxidant and antimicrobial activity than 1,8-Cineole the major component of the essential oil.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ESSENTIAL OILS FROM PANTELLERIA ISLAND AUTOCHTHONOUS AND NATURALIZED SPICES AND EVALUATION OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINED ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES
