Physicochemical and biological properties of carvacrol

Carvacrol is a major component of many essential oils of the genus Thymus, Satureja, and Origanum, determining their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and other properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate some physicochemical and biological properties of pure carvacrol. The surface tension and density were measured at six different temperatures (30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 degrees C). The surface tension values were between 53.11 and 60.38 mN/m, while density varied from 0.978 to 0.99 kg/m(3). The antibacterial activity against seven pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic bacteria was investigated. The diameter of the inhibition zones was determined in the range of 3.9-4.9 mm. The antioxidant activity was determined by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (1687.0 mu mol TE/mL) method.