Antimicrobial Evaluation and Fraction-Based Profiling of Basil Essential Oil against Vaginal Pathogens

Park, Minkyoung; Park, Jumin; Hwang, Dae Youn; Park, Sohae; Lee, Heeseob

doi:10.3390/antiox14060628

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Antimicrobial Evaluation and Fraction-Based Profiling of Basil Essential Oil against Vaginal Pathogens

by

Minkyoung Park

^1,†,

Jumin Park

^1,†

,

Dae Youn Hwang

²

,

Sohae Park

^2,* and

Heeseob Lee

^1,3,*

¹

Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea

²

Department of Biomaterials Science, College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Republic of Korea

³

Longevity & Wellbeing Research Center, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Republic of Korea

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Antioxidants 2025, 14(6), 628; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14060628

Submission received: 17 April 2025 / Revised: 20 May 2025 / Accepted: 22 May 2025 / Published: 23 May 2025

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Abstract

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) has been traditionally used in various cultures for its medicinal properties. This study evaluated the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of basil essential oil (BEO) and identified its key bioactive compounds. Antioxidant activity testing, as determined by DPPH and ABTS assays, returned EC₅₀ values of 115.36 and 54.77 µg/mL, respectively. BEO demonstrated significant antimicrobial effects against Gardnerella vaginalis, Fannyhessea vaginae, Chryseobacterium gleum, and Candida albicans, with inhibition zones of up to 25.88 mm and MIC values ranging from 31 to 500 µg/mL. GC-MS (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) identified monoterpene, phenylpropene, and sesquiterpene derivatives in BEO. In addition, Fraction 3 (Fr. 3) obtained by preparative HPLC had the highest antimicrobial activity, and methyl trans-cinnamate was identified as the primary active compound in this fraction. BEO had no toxic effect on Lactobacillus crispatus or human dermal fibroblasts. These findings support the traditional use of basil and highlight its potential as a safe, natural therapeutic agent with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Keywords: natural therapeutic agent; phytochemical analysis; antimicrobial effects; bioactive compounds; ethnopharmacology; traditional medicine

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MDPI and ACS Style

Park, M.; Park, J.; Hwang, D.Y.; Park, S.; Lee, H. Antimicrobial Evaluation and Fraction-Based Profiling of Basil Essential Oil against Vaginal Pathogens. Antioxidants 2025, 14, 628. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14060628

AMA Style

Park M, Park J, Hwang DY, Park S, Lee H. Antimicrobial Evaluation and Fraction-Based Profiling of Basil Essential Oil against Vaginal Pathogens. Antioxidants. 2025; 14(6):628. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14060628

Chicago/Turabian Style

Park, Minkyoung, Jumin Park, Dae Youn Hwang, Sohae Park, and Heeseob Lee. 2025. "Antimicrobial Evaluation and Fraction-Based Profiling of Basil Essential Oil against Vaginal Pathogens" Antioxidants 14, no. 6: 628. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14060628

APA Style

Park, M., Park, J., Hwang, D. Y., Park, S., & Lee, H. (2025). Antimicrobial Evaluation and Fraction-Based Profiling of Basil Essential Oil against Vaginal Pathogens. Antioxidants, 14(6), 628. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14060628

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Antimicrobial Evaluation and Fraction-Based Profiling of Basil Essential Oil against Vaginal Pathogens

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