Chemical composition and evaluation of antimicrobial properties of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil

摘要

Preservatives used in the food industry are undergoing increasing scrutiny and reappraisal. There is therefore a renewed interest in the antimicrobial properties of herbs and spices. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis?L.) belonging to the Lamiaceae family, is a pleasant-smelling perennial herb. The antimicrobial activities of the?R. officinalis?oil?against?Leuconostoc?mesenteroides?(PTCC1591),Lactobacillus?delbruekii?(PTCC1333),?Saccharomyces cerevisia?(PTCC5269)?andCandida krusei?(PTCC 5295)?were determined. The results indicate that among the tested microbes, the essential oil had a stronger inhibitory effect on the bacteria as compared to yeasts. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for bacteria?L.mesenteroides,?L. delbruekii,?S.?cerevisia?and?C. krusei?ranged between 0.5 and 1.5 mg/ml. The oil was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The major components of?R. officinalis?oil were 1,8-cineole (23.14%), camphor (12.35%), α-pinene (9.87%), β-pinene (6.10%), borneol (5.61%), camphene (5.58%) and α-terpineol (4.30%), respectively. These results indicate the latent potency of essential oil of?R. officinalisas a natural preservative in food products against?L. mesenteroides,?L. delbruekii,S. cerevisia?and?C.krusei.