Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of essential oils from seven species of Amaryllidaceae and Brassicaceae

Essential oils have been utilized for various purposes throughout history. These aromatic substances have become increasingly popular in alternative medicine, aromatherapy, and personal care products.

In this study, essential oils from the aerial parts of four Allium species and three Brassicaceae members, namely Fortuynia garcinii, Draba verna, and Thlaspi arvense were evaluated for their antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal properties.

The radical-scavenging properties were tested using DPPH assay. Antimicrobial activities were examined on nine standard pathogens: three Gram-positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyogenes, three Gram-negative bacteria including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica and two fungi Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium oxysporum as well as the yeast Candida albicans.

The IC50 values of antioxidant assay ranged from 124.66 to 155.04 μg/ml. Allium zagricum showed the best antioxidant effects with IC50 of 124.66 μg/ml compared to standard vitamin E (IC50 = 10.40 μg/ml). Similarly, the MIC values of 25-400 μg/ml with Fortuynia garcinii fruits-Zahedan were assessed as the best antimicrobial effects, while they were higher than the MIC values recorded for positive controls (0.06-16 for amikacin and 32-256 for clotrimazole).

Essential oils extracted from Allium zagricum and Fortuynia garcinii can be prescribed for the treatment of oxidative stress-related and infectious diseases.