GC/MS and LC Composition Analysis of Essential Oil and Extracts From Wild Rosemary: Evaluation of Their Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities

Abstract

Rosmarinus officinalis L. (rosemary) is a widely used medicinal plant known for its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. This study evaluates the bioactive potential of its essential oil (EO), methanolic (ME), and aqueous (AE) extracts. GC-MS analysis identified α-pinene (21.37%), bornanone (12.73%), and eucalyptol (8.28%) as major EO components, while HPLC revealed ME's richness in salicylic acid (5.11 μg/mg) and rutin (0.43 μg/mg). Antioxidant activity, assessed via DPPH and FRAP assays, showed ME with the strongest radical scavenging capacity (IC50 = 27.30 ± 2.4%) and reducing power (IC50 = 90.88 ± 6.7%). Antimicrobial testing revealed EO as the most effective, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus (33 mm inhibition zone) and Bacillus subtilis (32 mm), while AE and ME exhibited moderate activity. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was resistant to all extracts. Additionally, AE demonstrated notable anti-inflammatory activity (IC50 = 55.88 ± 1.02%). These findings highlight rosemary as a rich source of bioactive compounds with strong pharmacological potential, positioning ME as the best antioxidant, EO as the most potent antimicrobial, and AE as an effective anti-inflammatory agent.