Essential Oils from Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Cupressaceae and Lamiaceae Families Grown in Serbia: Comparative Chemical Profiling with In Vitro Antioxidant Activity

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemical profile and antioxidant activity of essential oils obtained from the most commonly grown plant species in Serbia. Aromatic and medicinal plants from Lamiaceae (<i>Mentha x Piperita</i>, <i>Ocimum basilicum</i>, <i>Origanum majorana</i>, <i>Origanum vulgare</i>, <i>Salvia officinalis</i>, <i>Satureja hortensis</i>, <i>Satureja montana</i> and <i>Thymus vulgaris</i>), Asteraceae (<i>Ehinacea purpurea</i> and <i>Matricaria chamomilla</i>), Apiaceae (<i>Anethum graveolens</i>, <i>Carum carvi</i>, <i>Foeniculum vulgare</i>, <i>Petroselinum crispum</i> and <i>Pimpinella anisum</i>) and Cupressaceae (<i>Juniperus comunis</i>) were selected as raw material for essential oils (EOs)' isolation. Hydrodistillation (HD) was used for the isolation of EOs while they were evaluated in terms of yield and terpenoid profiles by GC-MS. In vitro radical scavenging DPPH and ABTS⁺ radical activities were carried out for all EOs. Finally, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed with the experimental results of the composition and antioxidant activity of the EOs, which showed a clear distinction between the selected plant species for the aforementioned responses. This work represents a screening tool for the selection of other EO candidates for further processing by emerging extraction techniques and the use of EOs as natural additives for meat products.