Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Effect of Extracts of Rosmarinus Officinalis L., Cultivated in Puebla, Mexico

Abstract

There is a growing interest in technological and therapeutic applications of bioactive compounds found in medicinal plants. Rosmarinus officinalis L. stands out in this area because of its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antifungal properties. The metabolites of this plant are affected by environmental conditions and the extraction method. In the present study, the antioxidant (DPPH assay) and antimicrobial (inhibition halo) properties of extracts from non-polar to polar solvents (from hexane to water) were evaluated. Plants were grown at the Botanical Garden-BUAP in open areas. The extracts with the highest antioxidant potential concentration of 10 µg/mL were ethyl ether (72.71%), methanol (84.51%), ethanol (83.14%), and at 1.0 µg/mL water (45, 44%). The antimicrobial activity stood out against Gram-negative bacteria, being active in most of the extracts at a lower level than the control. Differently, against Gram-positive, only the polar extracts were active. Even with E. fecalis, a greater inhibition was shown than the control. The extracts of Rosmarinus officinalis L. cultivated in Mexico, populated, and extracted in polar and non-polar conditions present a relevant activity for traditional medicine.