Antioxidant activity of essential oils obtained from aerial part of some Lamiaceae species

Abstract

Introduction: Essential oils are the perspective source of natural antioxidants because some synthetic antioxidants are now suspected to be potentially harmful to human health. As free radicals can cause inflammatory diseases, cancer, atherosclerosis, and aging, antioxidants can inhibit oxidative chain reactions. Essential oils have a wide range of pharmacological effects as they are multicomponent mixtures of chemical compounds, mainly terpenoids and aromatic components. Materials and Methods: The antioxidant activity of essential oils obtained from aerial parts of Ocimum americanum, Lophanthus anisatus, Monarda fistulosa, and Satureja hortensis (Lamiaceae) has been evaluated spectrophotometrically by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging test. Results: The assessed samples of essential oils reduced the radical from purple to yellowish color reaching 50% of reduction in the range of concentrations from 2.95 to 9.89 mg/ml. The most prominent antioxidant activity was identified for essential oil of M. fistulosa (2.95 mg/ml). The antioxidant activity of four essential oils decreased in such a sequence: M. fistulosa > S. hortensis > L. anisatus > O. americanum. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest the possibility of using the essential oils of four Lamiaceae species as a natural antioxidant sources for the pharmaceutical industry. The antioxidant activities of S. hortensis and M. fistulosa essential oils with dominated phenolic compounds were the most manifested.