GC-MS Analysis, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Achillea Odorata Subsp. Pectinata and Ruta Montana Essential Oils and Their Potential Use as Food Preservatives

Taoufiq Benali; Khaoula Habbadi; Abdelmajid Khabbach; Ilias Marmouzi; Gokhan Zengin; Abdelhakim Bouyahya; Imane Chamkhi; Houda Chtibi; Tarik Aanniz; El Hassan Achbani; Khalil Hammani

doi:10.3390/foods9050668

GC-MS Analysis, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Achillea Odorata Subsp. Pectinata and Ruta Montana Essential Oils and Their Potential Use as Food Preservatives

Foods. 2020 May 22;9(5):668. doi: 10.3390/foods9050668.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Natural Resources and Environment, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fez, B.P. 1223 Taza-Gare, Taza, Morocco.
² Laboratoire de recherche et de protection des plantes URPP-INRA-Meknès, 50000 Meknès, Morocco.
³ Laboratory of materials, natural substances, Environment and Modeling (LMSNEM), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fez, B.P. 1223 Taza-Gare, Taza, Morocco.
⁴ Laboratory of de Pharmacology et Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University Mohammed V in Rabat, BP 6203, Rabat Instituts, Rabat, 6203 Rabat, Morocco.
⁵ Biochemistry and Physiology Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Selcuk University, 42130 Konya, Turkey.
⁶ Laboratory of Human Pathologies Biology, Faculty of Sciences, and Genomic Center of Human Pathologies, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Biology, Mohammed V University in Rabat, 1014 Rabat, Morocco.
⁷ Microbiology and Molecular Biology Team, Center of Plant and Microbial Biotechnology, Biodiversity and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University, Rabat, 1014 Rabat, Morocco.
⁸ Medical Biotechnology Laboratory (MedBiotech), Rabat Medical & Pharmacy School, Mohammed V University in Rabat, 6203 Rabat, Morocco.

Abstract

In order to discover new natural resources with biological properties, the chemical composition, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, and the potential use as food preservative of essential oils of Moroccan Achillea odorata subsp. pectinata (AO_pEO) and Ruta montana (RMEO) were studied. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of 21 and 25 compounds in AO_pEO and RMEO, respectively. The results showed that the major compounds of AO_pEO are camphor (45.01%), bornyl acetate (15.07%), borneol (11.33%), β-eudesmol (4.74%), camphene (3.58%), and 1.8-cineole (eucalyptol) (2.96%), whereas 2-undecanone (63.97%), camphor (3.82%) and cyclopropanecarboxylic acid (3.66%) were the main components of RMEO. The antioxidant activities were evaluated by diphenylpicrylhydraziyl radical (DPPH) and reducing power assays. The antimicrobial activities of essential oils were tested against bacterial strains and food contaminant yeast using agar disc diffusion and microdilution methods. A significant antimicrobial activity of AO_pEO was observed against Bacillus subtilis, Proteus mirabilis and Candida albicans, compared to RMEO. The efficacy of AO_pEO was also evaluated in model food systems (cabbage and barley) artificially inoculated during storage. The results found that the adding of a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and 4× MIC were potent in decreasing the Proteus mirabilis growth in food model systems. Our findings suggested that AO_pEO may be potentially used as an alternative food preservative.

Keywords: Achillea odorata subsp. pectinata; Ruta montana; antimicrobial activity; essential oil; model food system.