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DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1084924
Chemical composition and evaluation of antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of Ocimum lamiifolium and Crassocephalum vitellinum essential oils
Ocimum lamiifolium (Lamiaceae) and Crassocephalum vitellinum (Asteraceae), Rwandese medicinal plants, were selected regarding their traditional medicinal use. Volatile oils were evaluated for their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities [1,2] as well as for their chemical compositions using GC and GC/MS[2–5]. The antimicrobial activity was tested against, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Escherichia. coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 by a disc diffusion method. The MIC was estimated by a microdilution broth method. The result showed that the volatile oil of Ocimum lamiifolium [major components sabinene (12.2%) and alpha phellandrene (11.6%)] exhibited an activity against S.aureus (MIC 2.5µl/ml), E. coli and P. aeruginosa (MIC >10µl/ml). In addition, Crassocephalum vitellinum volatile oil [major components limonene (34.8%), (E)-β-ocimene (21.8%), β-pinene (8.5%), α-pinene (6.6%),myrcene (6.3%) and β-phellandrene (5.5%) ] exhibited activity against S. aureus (MIC 1.25µl/ml), E.coli and P. aeruginosa (MIC >10µl/ml). The antioxidant activities of the volatile oils were assessed using the DPPH and linoleic acid peroxidation assays. The result showed that the C. vitellinum and O. lamiifolium essential oils strongly scavenged the stable radical 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) and reduced the peroxidation of linoleic acid.
Acknowledgements: Belgian Technical cooperation is thanked for support to Mrs Mukazayire.
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