Chemical composition and antimicrobial potential of essential oil and ethanolic extract of Ocimum canum Sims. against eleven pathogenic bacteria

Abstract

The objectives of the present study were to investigate the chemical composition and to evaluate the antioxidant and the antibacterial activities of the essential oil and ethanolic extract of Ocimum canum Sims. grown in Niger. Based on the Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, 47 compounds were identified representing 99.66% of the total oil. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil and ethanolic extract was assayed by using the free radical-scavenging activity (2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl: DPPH˙) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. The ethanolic extract has demonstrated a good antioxidant potential while the essential oil showed a moderate antioxidant potential with both methods. Agar disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays were used to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the essential oil and ethanolic extract of Ocimum canum against Eleven pathogenic bacteria. The essential oil exhibited a better antibacterial activity than the ethanolic extract, especially against multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii P1483 with MIC and MBC values of 0.03 mg/mL and Enterococcus faecium H3434 with MIC value of 0.03 mg/mL and MBC value of 0.06 mg/mL.