Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity of Curcuma longa L. Essential Oils

Abstract

The objective of this study was to characterize the chemical composition of the essential oil of Curcuma longa L and its anti-oxidant, antimicrobial and physicochemical properties.The chemical composition of the hydrodistilled essential oils of Curcuma longa L was analysed by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry. Sixty five compounds representing 93 % of the total oil were identified; the major components were α-tumerone (28.02 %), β-sesquiphellandrene(9,98%),Zingiberene(10,37),β-tumerone (9.85 %), ar-tumerone (2.61 %), and ar-curcumene (8.57 %), β-curcumene (5.70 %).The antioxidant activities of the oil and various extracts of Curcuma longa L were evaluated by using 2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and superoxide radical-scavenging assays in 100 g of Curcuma langa L powder The half-maximal inhibitory concentration of oil and methanol extract showed value (17.976 and 21.678 µg/ml) respectively, ethanol extract (36.446 µg/ml) showed moderate radical scavenging activity toward ascorbic acid (14.105 µg/ml). The antimicrobial activity was carried using diffusion agar method against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli.The highest and broadest activity was shown on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.