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GC/MS analysis and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of essential oil of Eucalyptus radiata
Author(s) -
Bendaoud Houcine,
Bouajila Jalloul,
Rhouma Ali,
Savagnac Arlette,
Romdhane Mehrez
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.3585
Subject(s) - dpph , abts , rhizoctonia solani , antimicrobial , fusarium solani , chemistry , essential oil , food science , botany , antioxidant , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry
BACKGROUND: The essential oil from Eucalyptus radiata leaves collected in Tunisia was extracted by steam distillation and analysed by gas chromatography/flame ionisation detection and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Its antioxidant and antiradical properties were evaluated by the 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′‐azinobis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays. The antimicrobial activity of the oil was examined in vitro against two plant‐pathogenic bacteria (four strains each of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi ) and two plant‐pathogenic fungi ( Fusarium solani and Rhizoctonia solani ). RESULTS: Thirty‐five compounds were identified and quantified in the essential oil, the major ones being 1,8‐cineole (69.53%), α‐pinene (11.94%) and trans ‐pinocarveol (4.81%). Medium antioxidant activity was found in the ABTS assay (IC 50 = 484.3 ± 17.3 mg L −1 ), whereas no significant free radical‐scavenging activity was detected in the DPPH assay (IC 50 > 10 000 mg L −1 ). The antimicrobial assays showed that the oil exhibited a high level of activity against A. tumefaciens and R. solani , with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging between 750 and 1000 µL L −1 . However, it was less efficient against P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi and F. solani . CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the essential oil of E. radiata , with a high content of terpenic compounds, exhibits significant antimicrobial activity against strains of A. tumefaciens and the fungus R. solani and may therefore be useful for their control. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry