Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum canum and Ocimum gratissimum in function of harvesting time

BACKGROUND: The aim of present the study was to investigate the chemical composition and the antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum canum and Ocimum gratissimum from Benin as affected by harvesting time. The chemical composition of hydrodistillated essential oils were analyzed by GC-FID (gas chromatography – flame ionization detector) and GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). Disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays were used to evaluate the antibacterial activity of essential oils against two foodborne pathogens. RESULTS: Based on the composition analysis, major components were as follows: estragol (43.0 -44.7 %) and linalool (24.6 -29.8 %) in O. basilicum oils; carvacrol (12.0 -30.8 %) and p-cymene (19.5 -26.2 %) in O. canum oils; thymol (28.3 -37.7 %) and γ-terpinene (12.5 -19.3 %) in O. gratissimum oils. The tested oils and their components exhibited notable antimicrobial activities against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium. The O. canum and O. gratissimum oils collected at 7h and 19h showed significant higher activities against L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium (MICs and MBCs 0.34 – 2.5 µL/mL) (p < 0.05), whereas O. basilicum showed lower activity (MICs and MBCs 2.0 – 8.0 µL/mL) at any daytime of harvest, the weakest being at 19h (MIC and MBC 12.0 – 32.0 µL/mL). CONCLUSION: The daytime of harvest can influence the composition of oils and their activities on bacteria