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• Lyoussi, B
• Miguel, M
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Molecules 2011, 16(9), 7672-7690; doi:10.3390/molecules16097672

Article

Antioxidant and Antiacetylcholinesterase Activities of Some Commercial Essential Oils and Their Major Compounds

Smail Aazza ^1,2 , Badiâ Lyoussi ¹  and Maria G. Miguel ^2,*

¹ Laboratory of Physiology-Pharmacology-Environmental Health, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mehraz, BP 1796 Atlas, University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah, Fez 30 000, Morocco ² Plant Biotechnology Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 1 August 2011; in revised form: 29 August 2011 / Accepted: 2 September 2011 / Published: 7 September 2011

(This article belongs to the Section Natural Products)

Download PDF Full-Text [493 KB, uploaded 7 September 2011 10:58 CEST]

Abstract: The commercial essential oils of Citrus aurantium L., Cupressus sempervirens L., Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and Thymus vulgaris L., isolated by steam distillation by a company of Morocco were evaluated in terms of in vitro antioxidant activity through several methods. In vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity was also determined. Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. oil was also studied, but it was obtained by peel expression. The best antioxidant was T. vulgaris oil, independent of the method used, mainly due to the presence of the phenolic monoterpenes thymol and carvacrol, which when studied as single compounds also presented the best activities. Concerning the acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity, E. globulus was the most effective. Nevertheless its main components 1,8-cineole and limonene were not the most active, a feature that corresponded to d-3-carene.

Keywords: antiacetylcholinesterase; commercial essential oils; DPPH; reductive potential; TBARS

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