Chemical Composition, Anti-microbial and Anti-oxidant Activities of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Leaves Extracts

Abstract

Abstract

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is an aromatic shrub belonging to the Lamiaceae family and widely used as herbal remedy and spices, which use to treat various chronic diseases worldwide since ancient times.

The preliminary phytochemical screening of ethyl acetate, methanol, and water leaves extracts of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), revealed the presence of flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, tannins, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, reducing sugars, deoxy sugars, coumarins , quinines and carotenoids. The evaluation of chemical constituency of Rosemary leaves found that flavonoids gave (19.5%), tannins (18%), alkaloids (7.1), terpenoids (21%) and saponins (8.5), ash content was (85/100g) and the pH was 6.8. The essential oil of Rosemary leaf was extracted with steam distillation method yielded (1.15%) was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) which revealed the presence of forty two compounds were completely identified and the major compounds were terpenes (71.4%.). The dominant components of oil were Eucalyptol (15.64%), alpha.-Pinene (10.78%).

The methanol (mac) extract of Rosmarinus officinalis showed a pronounced scavenging activity on DPPH gave (84%), followed by methanol (sox), (81%), ethyl acetate (68%) and finally water extract (%54) at the same concentration. On the other hand a moderate antibacterial activity was demonstrated by essential oil of rosemary leaf with inhibition zone diameter about (17 mm) against Escherichia coli.

The active methanol(mac)extract was further investigated by analytical and preparative TLC chromatography fractionation, afforded nine fractions which were analyzed by spectroscopic methods (Infra-red and Ultra-violet).