Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Rosemary

• Published in: Environmental toxicology and pharmacology Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 63 - 68
• Main Authors: Jiang, Yang, Wu, Nan, Fu, Yu-Jie, Wang, Wei, Luo, Meng, Zhao, Chun-Jian, Zu, Yuan-Gang, Liu, Xiao-Lei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.2011
• Subjects: 1,8-Cineole; AFM; alpha-pinene; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; antifungal properties; Antimicrobial activity; Aspergillus niger; Aspergillus niger - drug effects; Aspergillus niger - growth & development; atomic force microscopy; Bacillus subtilis; Candida albicans; Candida albicans - drug effects; Candida albicans - growth & development; chemical composition; cineole; Cyclohexanols - analysis; Cyclohexanols - pharmacology; Emergency; Escherichia coli; essential oils; FCM; flow cytometry; fungi; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Gram-negative bacteria; Gram-Negative Bacteria - drug effects; Gram-Negative Bacteria - growth & development; Gram-positive bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacteria - drug effects; Gram-Positive Bacteria - growth & development; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; minimum inhibitory concentration; Monoterpenes - analysis; Monoterpenes - pharmacology; oils; Oils, Volatile - chemistry; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Proteus vulgaris; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; rosemary; Rosmarinus; Rosmarinus - chemistry; Rosmarinus officinalis L; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus epidermidis; survival rate; tumor necrosis factors; α-Pinene; AFM; FCM; Antimicrobial activity; 1,8-Cineole; α-Pinene; Rosmarinus officinalis L
• ISSN: 1382-6689; 1872-7077; 1872-7077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2011.03.011

[Display omitted] ► 22 components of the Rosemary essential oil were identified by GC–MS. ► The major constituents were 1,8-Cineole (26.54%) and α-Pinene (20.14%). ► The oil showed pronounced antibacterial and antifungal activity than 1,8-Cineole and α-Pinene against all of the tested microbes. ► The survival rates and morphological changes of S. aureus after treatment with the essential oil were assessed by FCM and AFM. The composition of the essential oil of Rosemary was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). 22 components, which constitute 97.41% of the oil, were identified. The major constituents were 1,8-Cineole (26.54%) and α-Pinene (20.14%). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) and time–kill dynamic processes against three Gram-positive bacteria ( Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis), three Gram-negative bacteria ( Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) and two fungi ( Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger) were determined for the oil, 1,8-Cineole and α-Pinene. The oil showed pronounced antibacterial and antifungal activity than 1,8-Cineole and α-Pinene against all of the tested microbes. Furthermore, the survival rates and morphological changes of S. aureus after treatment with different concentrations of the essential oil were assessed by flow cytometry (FCM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).