Original Article Medical Laboratory Journal, Mar-Apr , 2019; Vol 13: No 2 E-ISSN: 2538-4449 Chemical Composition and Antibacterial and Antioxidant Properties of Essential Oils of Zataria multiflora , Artemisia deracunculus and Mentha piperita Mojtaba Raeisi (PhD) ABSTRACT Cereal Health Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Background and objectives: Utilization of essential oils instead of chemical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran preservatives has received significant attention in recent years. The present study aims to Fatemeh Ghorbani Bidkorpeh (PhD) evaluate chemical composition and antibacterial and antioxidant properties of essential oils Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti of Zataria multiflora, Artemisia deracunculus and Mentha piperita. University of Medical Sciences, Methods: Chemical profile of the essential oils was analyzed by gas Tehran, Iran chromatography/mass spectrometry. The microwell dilution and agar disk diffusion methods Mohammad Hashemi (PhD) Department of Nutrition, Faculty of were used to evaluate the antibacterial properties of the essential oils. Total phenolic Medicine, Mashhad University of content, β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching test and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran assays were carried out to determine the antioxidant properties. Bektas Tepe (PhD) Department of Molecular Biology and Results: Menthol (39.18%) and mentone (21.64%) were the main components of Genetics, Faculty of Science and the essential oil of M. piperita, while estragol (34.75%) and limonene (15.72%) were the Literature, Kilis 7 Aralik University, major components of the essential oil of A. dracunculus. The main components of the 79000 Kilis, Turkey Zahra Moghaddam essential oil of Z. multiflora were carvacrol (36.81%) and thymol (33.04%). The essential oils Medical Education Unit, Shahid Sayad of M. piperita and Z. multiflora showed greater antimicrobial effects. Moreover, Z. multiflora Shirazi Medical Education Center, showed the greatest antioxidant activity among the essential oils. The total phenolic content Gorgan, Iran Masoud Aman Mohammadi of Z. multiflora was 228.14±0.45 mg gallic acid equivalent/g. Department of Food Science and Conclusion: Given their favorable antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, the Technology, Faculty of Food Science essential oils of Z. multiflora, A. deracunculus and M. piperita can be used as natural food and Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran preservatives. Seyyed Mohammad Ali Noori (PhD) Keywords: Zataria multiflora, Artemisia deracunculus, Mentha piperita, Department of Food and Drug Control, antibacterial effect, antioxidant effect. Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Corresponding author: Seyyed Mohammad Ali Noori Tel: +98-9163026787 Email: [email protected] Address: Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Received: 11 Jun 2018 Revised: 02 Dec 2018 Accepted: 04 Dec 2018 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. This paper should be cited as: Raeisi M, Ghorbani Bidkorpeh F, Hashemi M, Tepe B, Moghaddam Z, Aman Mohammadi M, Noori SMA[Chemical Composition and Antibacterial and Antioxidant Properties of Essential Oils of Zataria multiflora, Artemisia deracunculus and Mentha piperita]. mljgoums. 2019; 13(2):1-7 2/ Chemical Composition and Antibacterial . INTRODUCTION Foodborne or food spoilage Lamiaceae, is another important medicinal microorganisms can cause illness in plant that grows wild in Iran, Pakistan, and consumers and significantly reduce the shelf Afghanistan (12). Z. multiflora has pain- life of foods. Staphylococcus aureus can relieving, immune-stimulating, rapidly grow in foods, and is known as the antinociceptive, antibacterial, antifungal, most common foodborne microorganism (1). antiviral, and antioxidant properties (12-14). Listeria monocytogenes is another important The aim of the present study was to determine foodborne bacterium, which can survive in the chemical composition and antioxidant and extreme conditions, such as low temperature, antibacterial properties of essential oils from high salinity and acidity (2). Bacillus cereus is M. piperita, A. dracunculus, and Z. multiflora. commonly found in the environment and has the ability to form spores and grow under cold MATERIALS AND METHODS conditions. Moreover, inadequate cooking of Areal parts of M. piperita, A. dracunculus foods contaminated with these microorganisms and Z. multiflora were purchased from a local can lead to food poisoning (3). Consumption spice store in Gorgan, Iran. Identification of of Escherichia coli-contaminated food can the plants was carried out in University of cause asymptomatic gastrointestinal disease or Agriculture and Natural Resources of Gorgan, more serious complications, which might lead Iran. A Clevenger-type apparatus was used for to death if not treated (4). Despite the global extraction of the essential oils. The extractions advances in food safety, salmonellosis is still were dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and one of the most important public health issues. then stored at 4 oC (15). Components of the Salmonella, the main causative agent of this essential oils were identified according to a disease, especially serovar typhimurium, is method described by Moradi et al. (16). Gas resistant to multiple drugs, which has made chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) this infection difficult to treat (5). analysis of the essential oils was carried out Due to the harmful effects of synthetic using a Hewlett Packard 5890 system additives on human health, special interest has equipped with an HP-5MS capillary column been given to characterization of plant (30 × 0.25 mm ID × 0.25 mm film thickness). essential oils, which are important components Flow rate of helium was 1 ml/min. Initial of foods and beverages (6). One of the main temperature of the column was 50 oC, which benefits of using essential oils in food products was progressively increased to 120 oC at a 2 is their favorable antibacterial activity against oC/min rate for 3 min, and finally increased to a wide range of microorganisms (6, 7). The 300 oC for 5 min. The MS procedure was inhibitory effects of essential oils against the operated with ionization energy of 70 eV. growth of many gram-negative or gram- Compounds were identified by comparing positive microorganisms and fungal species their retention indices with those of standard have been reported in several studies (7-9). samples and mass spectral data available in the Essential oils rich in phenolic compounds and Wiley library (Wiley-VCH 2001 data other phytochemicals exhibit significant software, Weinheim, Germany). antioxidant and free radicals scavenging Three gram-positive bacteria including S. activities, and therefore can be used to extent aureus (PTCC 1015), L. monocytogenes shelf life of foods (10). Peppermint (Mentha (PTCC 1298), and B. cereus (PTCC 1665) and piperita) is an important medicinal plant that two gram-negative bacteria including E. coli grows in many countries. Certain parts of this (PTCC 1533) and S. thyphimurium (PTCC plant, such as leaves, are used as herbal tea or 1730) were obtained from the microbial spice for their known flavor and fragrance, collection of the Department of Food Hygiene while its extract/essential oil is used in and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industries Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. (11). Peppermint is a hybrid of water mint (M. One microliter of bacterial culture (18 hours) aquatica L.) and spearmint (M. spicata L.). at a concentration of 106 CFU/ml equivalent to Certain aroma compounds found in Artemisia 0.5 MacFarland standard was spread on dracunculus (Tarragon), such as monoterpenes Mueller-Hinton agar (Merck Darmstadt, and sesquiterpenes also have medicinal effects Germany). Sterile paper disks (diameter: 6mm, (10). Zataria multiflora, from the family purchased from Padtan Teb, Iran) were soaked Medical Laboratory Journal Mar-Apr, 2019; Vol 13: No 2 3/ Raeisi and colleagues in 10 μl of essential oil and placed on the agar The β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching test was media. The plates were incubated at 37 oC for carried out based on a method described by 24 hours, and diameter of inhibition zone was Miraliakbari and Shahidi with slight measured in mm (16). modifications (18). In order to prepare the The microwell dilution method was used to stock solution of β-carotene–linoleic acid, determine the minimum inhibitory approximately 0.5 mg β-carotene (type I concentration (MIC) of the essential oils synthetic, Sigma–Aldrich) was dissolved in against the bacteria. Bacterial suspensions chloroform (1 ml) in a flask. Then, 20 μl of were taken from 18h cultures in broth (106 linoleic acid (Sigma–Aldrich) and 200 mg of CFU/ml equivalent to 0.5 MacFarland tween 40 (Sigma–Aldrich) were added to the standard). The essential oils were dissolved in flask. Chloroform was removed at 40 oC using 10% dimethyl sulfoxide. Subsequently, the a rotary evaporator (Heidolph laborta 4003, solutions were diluted to the highest SchwaBach, Germany). After adding 100 ml concentration (100000 μg/ml) as a stock of distilled water, the mixture was shaken solution, and then two-fold serial dilutions vigorously. Aliquots of the mixture (2.5 ml) were prepared in a concentration range of were pipetted to test tubes containing 350 μl of 100000 to 1562.5 μg/ml in nutrient broth. the essential