title: Antioxidant and antibacterial activity of essential oil and extracts of bay laurel Laurus nobilis Linnaeus (Lauraceae) from Portugal.
abstract: Laurus nobilis L. is an aromatic plant frequently used as a spice in Mediterranean cookery and as a traditional medicine for the treatment of several infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to characterise the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of bay laurel essential oil (EO), ethanolic extract (EE) and hot/cold aqueous extract (AE). The major components detected in bay laurel EO were eucalyptol (27.2%), α-terpinenyl acetate (10.2%), linalool (8.4%), methyleugenol (5.4%), sabinene (4.0%) and carvacrol (3.2%). The EO exhibited strong antibacterial activity against all tested foodborne spoilage and pathogenic bacteria, whereas this activity was less pronounced or even nonexistent in the EE and AE. In contrast, EO exhibited low antioxidant activity compared to extracts (EX), and among the EX, the hot AE revealed the highest antioxidant ability. The results show that bay laurel EO and its EX have potential as natural alternatives to synthetic food preservatives, in order to enhance food safety and increase food shelf life.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit of Upgrading of Fishery and Farmed Products, National Institute of Biological Resources (INRB, IP/IPIMAR), Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Neng
authors.forename: J M F
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marques
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D019770:Lauraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D011174:Portugal
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts