Essential oil composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of Mosla chinensis Maxim

The essential oil of Mosla chinensis Maxim was analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and its main components are carvacrol (57.08%), p-cymene (13.61%), thymol acetate (12.68%), thymol (6.67%), and gamma-terpinene (2.46%). The essential oil exhibited great potential antimicrobial activity against all eight bacterial and nine fungal strains. Antioxidant activity was also tested, the essential oil showing significantly higher antioxidant activity than that of the methanol extract. In addition, the amounts of total phenol components in the plant methanol extract (47.3 +/- 0.4 mu g/mg) and the oil (80.7 +/- 0.5 mu g/mg) were determined. The results presented here indicate that the essential oil of M. chinensis has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and is therefore a potential source of antimicrobial and antioxidant agents for the food and pharmaceutical industries. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.