Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Eugenia caryophyllata Essential Oil

In the present study, the essential oil was extracted from the buds of Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb (Myrtaceae) by hydrodistillation method and the chemical composition of essential oil was identified by GC and GC-MS. A total of 26 components were identified accounting for 99.8 % of the oil composition. Eugenol (68.9 %), trans-caryophyllene (12.6 %) and eugenol acetate (12.4 %) were the main components of E.caryophyllata essential oil. The efficacy of the oil against foodborne and pathogenic microorganisms was evaluated by disc diffusion and micro broth dilution assays. The inhibition zone diameter against different kinds of microorganisms was increased in dose dependent manner. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum lethal concentration (MLC) values were found in the range of 0.25-4 and 0.25-8 mu l/ml. The most sensitive microorganisms were Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by 2, 2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and beta-carotene/linoleic acid system and strong activity were found for this oil.