Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Mentha (longifolia L. and viridis) Essential Oils

  1. Mounira Mkaddem,
  2. Jalloul Bouajila,
  3. Monia Ennajar,
  4. Ahmed Lebrihi,
  5. Florence Mathieu,
  6. Mehrez Romdhane

Article first published online: 6 AUG 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2009.01272.x

Issue

Journal of Food Science

Journal of Food Science

Volume 74, Issue 7, pages M358–M363, September 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Mkaddem, M., Bouajila, J., Ennajar, M., Lebrihi, A., Mathieu, F. and Romdhane, M. (2009), Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Mentha (longifolia L. and viridis) Essential Oils. Journal of Food Science, 74: M358–M363. doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2009.01272.x

Author Information

  1. Authors Mkaddem, Ennajar, and Romdhane are with Laboratoire de Modélisation Analyse et Commande des Systèmes. Ecole Natl. d’Ingénieurs de Gabès. Rue Omar elkhattab-ZRIG-6029 Gabès Tunisie. Author Bouajila is with Laboratoire de Synthèse et de Physicochimie de Molécules d’Intérêt Biologique, UMR CNRS 5068, Univ. Paul-Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse, France. Authors Lebrihi and Mathieu are with Univ. de Toulouse, LGC UMR 5503 (CNRS/INPT/UPS), ENSAT/INPT, 1, Ave. de l’Agrobiopole, BP 32 607, Auzeville-Tolosane, 31 326 Castanet-Tolosan, France. Direct inquiries to author Bouajila (E-mail: bouajila@cict.fr).

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 1 SEP 2009
  2. Article first published online: 6 AUG 2009
  3. MS 20090083 Submitted 1/29/2009, Accepted 6/7/2009.

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Keywords:

  • antioxidant activity;
  • antimicrobial activity;
  • essential oil;
  • Mentha longifolia L.;
  • Mentha viridis L

ABSTRACT:  The study was aimed to investigate essential oil chemical composition (gas chromatography/flame ionization detection [GC-FID] and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry [GC-MS]) and antioxidant (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH) and 2,2’-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate [ABTS] assays) and antimicrobial (Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and yeast) activities of essential oils extracted from leaves of Mentha longifolia L. and Mentha viridis. GC-MS analysis revealed that M. longifolia was constituted by pulegone (54.41%) as a major component followed by isomenthone (12.02%), 1,8-cineole (7.41%), borneol (6.85%), and piperitenone oxide (3.19%). M. viridis was rich in carvone (50.47%), 1,8-cineole (9.14%), and limonene (4.87%). The antioxidant activity by ABTS assay showed IC50 values of 476.3 ± 11.7 and 195.1 ± 4.2 mg/L for M. longifolia and M. viridis, respectively, the DPPH assays have resulted in a moderate IC50 (>8000 mg/L and 3476.3 ± 133 mg/L for M. longifolia and M. viridis, respectively). Antimicrobial activity showed that Listeria monocytogenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria were more inhibited by the 2 essential oils tested. Escherichia coli was least susceptible. A strong activity was also observed on fungi and yeasts. Carvone, thymol, and piperitone oxide have not been detected in Tunisian M. longifolia. Camphor is reported for the 1st time for M. viridis. Antioxidant and antibacterial activities were correlated to chemical composition.

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