title: Composition and functional properties of the essential oil of amazonian basil, Ocimum micranthum Willd., Labiatae in comparison with commercial essential oils.
abstract: Wild Amazonian basil Ocimum micranthum Willd. (O. campechianum Mill.) Labiatae essential oil was analyzed by GC and GC-MS: 31 compounds were identified. The main components were eugenol (46.55 +/- 5.11%), beta-caryophyllene (11.94 +/- 1.31%), and beta-elemene (9.06 +/- 0.99%), while a small amount of linalool (1.49 +/- 0.16%) was detected. The oil was tested for its in vitro food-related biological activities and compared with common basil Ocimum basilicum and Thymus vulgaris commercial essential oils. Radical scavenging activity was evaluated employing 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The oil exerted a good capacity to act as a nonspecific donor of hydrogen atoms or electrons when checked in the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl assay, quenching 76,61 +/- 0.33% of the radical, with values higher than those reported by reference oils. In the beta-carotene bleaching test, the oil provided an antioxidant efficacy comparable with that of O. basilicum and T. vulgaris essential oils. These data were confirmed by photochemiluminescence, where the oil showed a remarkable antioxidant capacity (2.39 +/- 0.1), comparable to that of Trolox and vitamin E, and higher than the other essential oils. Antibacterial activity of O. micranthum essential oil was evaluated against Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains. The oil showed a dose-dependent antifungal activity against pathogenic and food spoiling yeasts.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento delle Risorse Naturali e Culturali, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, C.so Porta Mare 2, I-44100 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sacchetti
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Medici
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maietti
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radice
authors.forename: Mariavittoria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muzzoli
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manfredini
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Braccioli
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bruni
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D031339:Ocimum / Q000737:chemistry*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D009822:Oils, Volatile