Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties of Rosmarinus officinalis Essential Oil

The essential oil extracted from Rosmarinus officinalis L. is gaining attention for its therapeutic uses. The rosemary essential oil (REO) was extracted from the aerial parts of the plant using a Clevenger apparatus, and the chemical composition of the essential oil was analyzed using a GC-MS apparatus. 30 compounds were identified in the essential oil, dominated by 1,8-cineole (21.24%), camphor (10.81%), and α-pinene (7.41%). The antibacterial activity was screened using the Agar disc diffusion method against four bacterial strains, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumonia, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of rosemary essential oil was determined. The rosemary essential oil showed good antimicrobial activity against all microbial strains. MIC values were ranged from 1.56 to 25 mg/L. According to the MIC results, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was inhibited more than Staphylococcus aureus. The essential oils were evaluated for their antioxidant activity using a DPPH radical inhibition test. Rosemary essential oil showed high antioxidant activity, with 88.53% radical inhibition. The biological activities demonstrated by R. officinalis essential oils suggest potential applications in various fields, including medicine, food, and cosmetics, making our findings useful for future studies and applications.