Comparative Studies of Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial
Potentials of Essential Oils and Oleoresins Obtained from Seeds and Leaves of
Anethum graveolens L.
Sunita Singh
1*
, SS Das
1
, G Singh
1
, Marina Perroti
2
, Carola Schuff
2
and César A N Catalan
2
1
Chemistry Department, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University Gorakhpur, 273009, UP, India
2
Facultad de Bioquímica Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, S. M. de Tucumán, T4000INI, Argentina
*
Corresponding author: Singh S, Chemistry Department Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University Gorakhpur, India, Tel: (91)5512270301; Fax: (91)551-2340459;
E-mail: oceans.singh@gmail.com
Received date: October 10, 2016, Accepted date: January 08, 2017, Published date: January 18, 2017
Copyright: © 2017 Singh S, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
The chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial potentials of essential oils and oleoresins obtained from
dill (Anethum graveolens L.) seeds and leaves have been studied. The isolated essential oils and oleoresins were
analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The antioxidant activity of essential oils and
oleoresins in comparison with synthetic antioxidants were evaluated using different antioxidant assays namely
peroxide, thiobarbituric acid values. The antioxidant potentials were further confirmed using other methods such as
ferric thiocyanate method in linoleic acid system, scavenging effect (%) on DPPH radical and metal chelating activity.
Total phenolic content was also calculated using Folin-Ciocalteau method. Their antimicrobial activity was
investigated using various methods on an array of microorganisms. Carvone (47.2%) was the major component in
seed essential oil whereas dillapiole (90.2%) was the main component of leave essential oil. The oleoresins were
mainly having a major fraction of carvone, dillapiole and oleic acid. Both essential oils have shown excellent
antioxidant activity. The seed essential oil showed excellent antimicrobial activity against Aspergillus flavus and
Fusarium graminearum in food poisoned method. Significant antibacterial activity was recorded for essential oils
against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis while nominal inhibitory effects were observed against
Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Keywords: Essential oils; Antioxidant; Total phenolic content; Gas-
chromatography-mass spectrometry; Antimicrobial activity
Introduction
Herbs and spices have long been used by ancient civilizations for
culinary, medicinal and cosmetic uses. With modernization and the
development of patent medicines, the use of natural cures and elixirs
decrease in popularity. Nowadays, disillusionment with synthetic
drugs, artifcial additives and their possible side efects [1] has given
great rise in popularity to many natural products, be it for culinary,
medical or cosmetics purposes.
Anethum graveolens L. (Dill) is a member of Apiaceae family
commonly called sowa or vilayti saunf in India. It has been recognized
in diferent system of traditional medicines for the treatment of
diferent diseases and ailments of human beings. Te extracts obtained
from aerial parts, seeds have antibacterial, antispasmodic,
hyperlipidimic, antiulcer, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, genotoxicity,
diuretic efect [2]. Te diversifed uses of dill have attracted many
researchers to explore their diferent potentials, which have been well
discussed in literature. Te current study was aimed to analyze the
diference in chemical composition of essential oils and oleoresins
obtained from diferent part of A. graveolens (seeds and leaves) along
with their antioxidant, antimicrobial potentials has also been
investigated by diferent methods. Diferent samples of same plant
have been used to analyse the chemical variance using GC-MS
techniques and how these variations afect the antioxidant and
antimicrobial properties.
Materials and Methods
Extraction of essential oils and oleoresins
Fresh aerial parts of the dill herb (leaves and seeds) were purchased
from the local market of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. A voucher
specimen was deposited at the herbarium of the Faculty of Science,
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University. Te leaves and seeds
were washed with running water, air dried and then homogenized into
fne powder. Te dill seed essential oil (DSEO, light yellow colored;
yield 2.4%) and dill leaves essential oil (DLEO, green colored; yield
0.9%) was extracted by a hydrodistillation process using a Clevenger’s
type apparatus in accordance with the method recommended by the
European Pharmacopoeia [3].
Te oleoresins (DSET-Dill seeds ethanol oleoresin; DSNH-Dill
seeds n-hexane oleoresin; DLET- Dill leaves ethanol oleoresin; DLNH-
Dill leaves n-hexane oleoresin) were extracted from seeds and leaves by
using a Soxhlet apparatus. Diferent reports reveal the utility of more
polar solvents for better extraction of components [4]. For this reason,
ethanol (polar) and n-hexane (non-polar) have been used for
extraction to analyse the diference in chemistry. Te essential oil and
oleoresins so obtained were poured into bottles and stored in a
refrigerator at 4 ± 1°C in the dark for further use.
Reagents
Folin- Ciocalteu (FC) reagent (Qualigens chemicals Ltd. Mumbai,
India) and Gallic acid (Qualikems chemicals Ltd. New Delhi, India)
Toxicology: Open Access
Singh et al., Toxicol Open Access 2017, 3:1
Research Article OMICS International
Volume 3 • Issue 1 • 1000119
DOI: 10.4172/2476-2067.1000119
Toxicol Open Access, an open access journal
ISSN:2476-2067