Chemical Composition and Biological Effects of Essential Oils from Some Aromatic and Medicinal Plants

Background: Natural products play a significant role in the drug discovery process due to the presence of a large variety of bioactive compounds. Objective: The present study aims to isolate the essential oil from Salvia Fruticosa (SF), Lavandula Intermedia (LI), and Rosmarinus Officinalis (RO) with identification of the chemical composition of the oils and to investigate the antioxidant, antifungal and antibacterial activities. Methods: The plant materials were cultivated and supplied from Yalova, Turkey. Essential oils were generated from aerial parts of each plant by steam distillation, and the compounds were identified by GC-MS analyses. Total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were determined. DPPH method was used for antioxidant activity. Seed germination was executed with the standard method. Antifungal and antibacterial activities were carried out by disc diffusion method. Results: 1,8-Cineole (45.8%) was the main constituent of SF. Linalyl acetate (34.4%) was detected as the chief product of LI. The major product of RO was assigned as 1,8-cineole (43.3%). RO essential oil (IC50, 224.76 mu g ml-l) had a higher DPPH center dot effect than the standard, BHT. LI essential oil showed the outstanding antifungal activity (100%) on Botrytis cinerea and Scelerotinia sclerotiorum. LI essential oil inhibited the Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis at the rate of 16.4% at 7.5 mu l dose. The best antibacterial effect was observed for RO essential oil on Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (30.5%) at 7.5 mu l. Conclusion: R. officinalis essential has the potential for using in the food industry as a natural antioxidant. L. intermedia and R. officinalis essential oils could be useful in food and agriculture to keep the products in high worth.