PJB-2019-468
EUCALYPTUS CINEREA, BICOSTATA AND MAIDENI ESSENTIAL OILS: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY
KAOUTHER MECHERGUI
Abstract
Essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the dry leaves of Eucalyptus maideni, Eucalyptus bicostata and Eucalyptus cinerea collected during the flowering season, from the INRGREF Eucalyptus arboretum of Souineit, Tunisia were evaluated for their chemical composition and antioxidant effectiveness. The highest yield of essential oil was obtained from Eucalyptus cinerea (3.91%). The essential oils were analysed by GC/MS and assayed for the antioxidant activities, using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. All essential oils of studied Eucalyptus species were containing α-pinene, 1,8-cineole and Limonene, with high percentages that exceed 4%. Although with variable degrees of importance, 1,8-Cineole (47.3–54%), Limonene (15.8–18%), α-Pinene (4.1–12%) and α-terpineol (1.8–2.7%) were the main common components of all the essential oils. The 1,8-cineole was the principal compound of the all species. The ability to scavenge the DPPH radicals, expressed by IC50, ranged from 3,540 to 17.024 mg mL-1. Eucalyptus cinerea possessed the highest antioxidant activity. The Eucalyptus cinerea can use as a natural source of antioxidant compounds.
To Cite this article:
Download
