title: Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Foeniculum vulgare and Crithmum maritimum essential oils.
abstract: The essential oils obtained from Crithmum maritimum L. (marine fennel) and two samples of Foeniculum vulgare Miller (common fennel) were analysed by GC and GC-MS and assayed for their antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The antioxidant activity of the oils was evaluated by two lipid model systems: a modified thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) assay and a spectrophotometric detection of hydroperoxydienes from linoleic acid in a micellar system. The oils demonstrated antioxidant capacities, comparable in some cases to that of alpha-tocopherol and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), used as reference antioxidants. Concerning the antimicrobial tests the essential oils were assayed against twenty-five genera of bacteria, including animal and plant pathogens, food poisoning and spoilage bacteria. Oils from the two samples of F. vulgare showed a higher and broader degree of inhibition than that of C. maritimum.
authors.affiliation: Istituto del C.N.R. per lo Studio delle Sostanze Naturali di Interesse Alimentare e Chimico-Farmaceutico, Valverde, CT, Italy. ruberto@issn.ct.cnr.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ruberto
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Baratta
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Deans
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Dorman
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D009822:Oils, Volatile