Aust J Crop Sci. 18(11):707-714 (2024) | ISSN:1835-2707

https://doi.org/10.21475/ajcs.24.18.11.p3697

Antimicrobial, acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activities of essential oils from Allium sativum, Coriandrum sativum and Anethum graveolens

Ianca Carneiro Ferreira¹, Luís Roberto Batista¹, Alex Rodrigues Silva Caetano², Gabriela Aguiar Campolina¹, Vanuzia Rodrigues Fernandes Ferreira², Suzana Reis Evangelista¹, Cassia Duarte Oliveira¹, Carolina Salles Freire², Marcus Vinicius Prado Alves², David Lee Nelson³, Maria das Graças Cardoso^2*

¹Food Sciences Department, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, MG, Brazil

²Chemistry Department, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, MG, Brazil

³Postgraduate Program in Biofuels, Federal University of The Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM), Diamantina, MG, Brazil

*Corresponding author: Maria das Graças Cardoso

Abstract: Essential oils have received attention because they contain a variety of terpene and phenylpropanoid compounds that are responsible for their biological activities. Some plants, such as spices, are rich in these substances, in addition to being widely used in gastronomy. Therefore, the chemical composition and the antioxidant, anticholinesterase and biological activities of the essential oils from Allium sativum, Coriandrum sativum and Anethum graveolens against the bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and the fungi Aspergillus carbonarius and Aspergillus ochraceus were evaluated. The essential oils were extracted using the hydrodistillation technique and characterized by GC-MS and GC-FID. The principal constituents found were linalool, carvone and diallyl trisulfide in the essential oils from C. sativum, A. graveolens and A. sativum, respectively. C. sativum and A. graveolens were observed to be the most efficient in controlling bacterial growth, and the growth of both fungi was completely inhibited by the essential oil from A. sativum at all the concentrations tested. For C. sativum and A. graveolens, a dose-dependent relationship with the concentrations was observed for the antifungal activity. A decrease in acetylcholinesterase activity in the presence of the A. sativum oil was observed, and the IC₅₀ was 9.67 µg mL^-1. Satisfactory results in the antioxidant assay using thiobarbituric acid and in the reduction of the phosphomolybdenum complex were only observed with the oil from C. sativum. A. sativum was found to be the most promising species for the development of sanitizers, drugs and agrochemicals.

Keywords: Acetylcholinesterase activity; antibacterial; antifungal; antioxidant; microorganisms.

Abbreviations: AChE_acetylcholinesterase; ATP_adenosine triphosphate; BHT_butylated hydroxytoluene; CFU_colony forming unit.

Introduction

Interest in natural sources as alternatives to synthetic chemical products has increased significantly, especially with respect to the essential oils (EOs). The constituents present in EOs include mainly the terpene and phenylpropanoid classes, whose bioactivity depends on the structural configurations of the molecules (Asbahani et al. 2015).

Since ancient times, garlic (Allium sativum) has been used in gastronomy and traditional medicine (Rouf et al. 2020). Its biological properties are mainly attributed to organosulfur compounds that belong to the thiosulfinate class. However, because of their high instabilities, new compounds rearrange to give rise to a wide variety of sulfur-derived substances, diallyl sulfide, diallyl disulfide, and diallyl tetrasulfide (Tsai et al. 2013; Llana-Ruiz-Cabello et al. 2015). The antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of garlic EO has been reported by some authors (Teixeira et al. 2014; Garcia-Diez et al. 2016).

In addition to garlic, two spices from the Apiaceae family are known for their biological properties, namely coriander (Coriandrum sativum) and dill (Anethum graveolens). Linalool is the main constituent of the EO extracted from the coriander seeds, and it is responsible for the biological effects (Ilc et al. 2016). Duarte et al. (2016) found that coriander EO and linalool were active against Campylobacter bacteria and also interfered with quorum sensing and biofilm formation. Furthermore, it was proven by Das et al. (2019) that the nanoencapsulated EO possessed antifungal, antiaflatoxigenic and antioxidant activity, as well as being able to inhibit an afflatoxin precursor. The main constituents of dill EO reported in the literature are carvone, limonene, apiole, thymol and α-pinene (Kazemi et al. 2015; Karimi et al. 2016).

The application of EOs, which are generally considered safe, is an alternative for the development of food additives and agrochemicals because some of those products contain compounds that are toxic for humans, animals and the environment. The use of EOs also reduces the risks of selecting insects and microorganisms resistant to synthetic products. Therefore, the application of EOs can lead to a more sustainable agricultural practice as well as guaranteeing food security (Ribeiro et al. 2015; Nguyen and Jang 2021; Teneva et al. 2021). Therefore, the EOs from A. sativum, C. sativum and A. graveolens were characterized, and their antimicrobial activities against pathogenic bacteria and mycotoxigenic fungi, their antioxidant capacities and their effects on acetylcholinesterase activity were determined.

Results and discussion

Chemical characterization of the essential oils

The results obtained from the chemical characterization of the EOs from coriander (CEO), dill (EEO) and garlic (AEO) are shown in Table 1. The principal constituent identified in the CEO was linalool (93.277%). In the EEO, five constituents were identified. Carvone was present in the highest concentration (83.038%). In the case of AEO, five major constituents were also quantified, with diallyl trisulfide (75.126%) being the principal constituent.

Investigations by El-sayed et al. (2017) indicated that diallyl trisulfide was the principal constituent of the AEO obtained from different cultivars, ranging from 45.76 to 58.53%. Esmaeili (2020), found diallyl trisulfide (33.47%) to be the principal compound in the AEO, followed by diallyl tetrasulfide (19.77%). The results obtained in this study are in agreement with those of the aforementioned authors with respect to chemical composition; however, the concentrations differ from those reported in the literature.

In the present study, five compounds were identified in CEO, namely linalool (93.28%), camphor (2.93%), γ-terpinene (2.22%), α-tujene (1.00%) and ρ-cymene (0.57%). The first three compounds were present in the studies of other authors, and, although linalool was the principal constituent, the concentration was different (Bazargani and Rohloff 2016; Lasram et al. 2019; Micić et al. 2019). Weisany et al. (2019) identified fifteen constituents in the EO from dill seeds. Carvone was the principal (87.91%) constituent, followed by limonene (3.13%). These compounds are similar to those found in the present study, but with different concentrations (83.04 and 12.63%, respectively). The differences in these results can be explained by the differences in geographic and climatic conditions of the growing region. The interaction between the plant and the environment affects the synthesis of secondary metabolites because environmental factors influence the metabolic route and, consequently, the production of different phytochemicals (Gobbo-Neto and Lopes 2007).

Antimicrobial activity

Determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) by the disk diffusion method

Significant antibacterial activities were observed for the CEO and EEO, whose MIC and MBC values ranged from 6.25 to 12.50 µL mL^-1, respectively (Table 2). For the AEO, the results ranged from 25.00 to 50.00 µL mL^-1 (E. coli) and from 12.50 to 25 µL mL^-1 (S. aureus). The MIC and MBC values for AEO were higher for E. coli bacteria. This observation can be explained because Gram-negative bacteria are naturally more resistant to the action of EOs because of the presence of an outer membrane in the cell wall, unlike Gram-positive bacteria, which have a single thick layer of peptidoglycan (Nazzaro et al. 2013). EOs are lipophilic substances and, therefore, have the ability to interact with cell membrane lipids to increase the permeability of the bacterial cell. This effect causes a reduction in the Proton Motive Force, in the synthesis of ATP and in the release of intracellular constituents (Bhavaniramya et al. 2019). Rao, Chen and Mcclements (2019) mention that the antimicrobial activity of an EO is related to its chemical constituents, mainly those present in highest concentration, and interactions with other components. Terpenoids with polar functional groups are known to have such activity. Bhavaniramya et al. (2019) mentioned that carvone is capable of disrupting the structures of the cell's outer membranes. Park et al. (2012) inferred that linalool causes damage to the cell wall, inhibits enzymatic activity and interrupts the translation of certain regulatory genes. In the case of sulfur compounds, Rouf et al. (2020) mentioned that there is an interaction of thiol groups with pathogen proteins, which causes structural change.

No formation of an inhibition halo was observed for the E. coli bacteria in the presence of the three EOs tested (Table 2). On the contrary, the AEO completely inhibited the growth of S.aureus. The diameters of the inhibition halos for the CEO and EEO were 8.1±1.78 mm and 2.0±1.0 mm, respectively. For Rao, Chen and Mcclements (2019), the antimicrobial activity is classified according to the zone of inhibition, which can be defined as strong (≥20 mm), moderate (>12 mm <20 mm) and weak (<12 mm). Thus, weak inhibitory activity was observed for the CEO and EEO. It is important to emphasize that no inhibition was observed for the EOs diluted in Tween 80.

Inhibitory effect of EOs on mycelial growth of mycotoxigenic fungi

Mycelial growth of mycotoxigenic Aspergillus fungi was inhibited by CEO and EEO in a dose-dependent manner (Table 3). The growth of the fungi A. carbonarius and A. ochraceus was completely inhibited by the AEO at all the tested concentrations. This EO was considered to be the most effective in the control of the two fungi. It was found that A. ochraceus was the fungus most resistant to CEO and EEO (Figure 1). There was no inhibition of fungal growth by the CEO at 1000 µL mL^-1, and a statistical difference was observed at higher concentrations. Nevertheless, the inhibition of growth of A. carbonarius was greater than that of A. ochraceus. Greater inhibition by EEO than by CEO was observed for both fungi. The inhibition of growth of A. carbonarius was observed up to a concentration of 500 µL mL^-1, whereas a 75.79% decrease in growth rate at the same concentration was observed for A. ochraceus (Table 3). The activity of coriander essential oil against fungal species Aspergillus genus were reported by Das et al. (2019), but no tests were performed with A. carbonarius and A. ochraceus.

The resistance of A. ochraceus was greater than that of A. carbonarius because of the difference in the chemical constituents of the EOs. Lasram et al. (2019) showed that carvone had greater antifungal activity than linalool; this fact explains why EEO was more effective in controlling fungal growth than CEO.

As mentioned, the antimicrobial activity of EOs can be attributed to their fat-soluble character. It is suggested that the antifungal effect of EOs is based on membrane rupture by inhibiting ergosterol biosynthesis, which causes the leakage of cytoplasmic content and generates an internal cellular imbalance with a change in the functioning of the organelles (Das et al. 2019; Kujur, Kumar and Prakash 2021). In the study by Brandão et al. (2020), the authors confirmed the antifungal and antimycotoxigenic effect of the essential oil from Eremanthus erythropappus against three different Aspergillus species, including A. carbonarius and A. ochraceus. They demonstrated that the inclusion of the EO inhibited ergosterol biosynthesis and damaged the integrity of the fungal cell membrane.

Effect of EOs on acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity

The results obtained regarding the effect of the EOs on the enzymatic activity are shown in Figure 2. No significant decrease in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was observed with the application of the CEO and EEO, even at the highest concentrations utilized (IC₅₀>100 µg mL^-1). There are differences in the chemical structures of the constituents of EOs that could influence the interactions and enzyme inhibition. Barbosa et al. (2020), reported that EOs composed mainly of sesquiterpenes have a greater inhibitory effect

Table 1. Chemical compositions of EOs from C. sativum, A. graveolens and A. sativum by GC-MS

RT: Retention time; RI_tab: Literature retention index; RI_cal: Calculated retention index; N. Area: Normalization of the area; *Confirmed by the Kovats index; -: Quantified but not identified.

Table 2. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (µL mL^-1) and Mínimum Bactericidal Concentration (µL mL^-1) of the essential oils from C. sativum, A. graveolens and A. sativum against the E. coli and S. aureus bacteria.

NI (No inhibition); ** Inhibition

Table 3. Percent inhibition of the mycelial growth of Aspergillus carbonarius e Aspergillus ochraceus by the EOs from C. sativum, A. graveolens and A. sativum

Means followed by the same lower case (column) and uppercase (row) letters do not differ by the Tukey test (5% probability). NI: No inhibition

than those composed of monoterpenes. This fact can be explained by the synergistic interactions that occur in these compounds. High concentrations of linalool and carvone are necessary for strong inhibition of AChE to occur, and greater inhibition by carvone is observed than by linalool because of its conjugated double bond (Lopez and Pascual-Villalobos 2010).

Barbosa et al. (2020) inferred that the main constituents of EOs interact with AChE through Van der Waals forces and hydrophobic interactions. Such binding was considered exergonic, reversible and competitive, and because of these characteristics; the action of other substances is possible. The inhibitory activity itself occurs through the bonds between the compounds of the EOs with the enzyme's amino acids. In the case of those EOs that contain organosulfur compounds, such as AEO, the interaction can occur between sulfur and

oxygen atoms, forming π-sulfur interactions and hydrogen bonds, respectively (Zilbeyaz, Oztekin and Kutluana 2021).

AEO was efficient in decreasing AChE activity. The IC₅₀ (9.67 µg mL^-1) did not differ statistically from that of the carvacrol standard (IC₅₀ 12.53 µg mL^-1). Rocchetti et al. (2022) reported that extracts obtained from different species of the genus Allium have the ability to inhibit AChE activity. In cases of poisoning caused by agrochemicals or toxic metals, activation of the AChE enzyme is necessary. Previous studies by Pari and Murugavel (2007) obtained promising results in the activation of AChE by diallyl tetrasulfide. The authors suggested that this compound was able to reduce the oxidative stress induced by cadmium. There must be a balance between enzyme and neurotransmitter because AChE is a key enzyme in behavioral processes.

Figure 1. Total inhibition of the mycelial growth of Aspergillus carbonarius (A) and Aspergillus ochraceus (B) by the EO from Allium sativum (A) and parcial inhibition by EOs from Anethum graveolens (B) and Coriandrum sativum (C).

Figure 2. Effect EOs from Allium sativum, Coriandrum sativum and Anethum graveolens concentration on acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity

Figure 3. Antioxidant capacity of EOs from Coriandrum sativum and Anethum graveolens in three colorimetric assays. A: ABTS (µg mL^-1), no activity was observed for EOs; B: TBARS (µg mL-1) and C: Phosphomolybdenum (Abs nm), activity was observed for both EOs;

In vitro antioxidant activity of EOs (AOX)

No AOX was observed in the colorimetric assays with AEO. Garlic is considered to be a potent antioxidant, but its action is indirect. The constituents of garlic are responsible for activating factor 2, which is related to the activation of antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes, such as glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and heme 1-oxygenase. Therefore, the levels of mitochondrial damage caused by reactive oxygen species decreased (Ribeiro et al. 2021). In the case of allicin, which is a reactive sulfur-containing substance, the redox reaction occurs through disulfide bonds between the thiol groups and glutathione or proteins that contain cysteine (Borlinghaus et al. 2014). Thus, no results were observed for the AEO in conventional assays because such compounds act on living systems by activating antioxidant enzymes. In the study by Mallet et al. (2013), the authors also found that the AEO did not affect the presence of AOX by the DPPH radical capture method.

A dose-dependent relationship was observed in the ABTS assay (Figure 3A) for the BHT standard; that is, the antioxidant activity was proportional to the sample concentration (IC₅₀ 3.30 µg mL^-1). On the other hand, no activity was observed for EEO and CEO, whose IC₅₀ were >500 and 7387 µg mL^-1, respectively. This behavior was also verified in the DPPH assay, and it is in agreement with the study by Alves-Silva et al. (2013). The principal compounds in EOs that have high AOX values usually possess phenolic characteristics. These substances can stabilize free radicals through the transfer of hydrogen atoms or electrons (Ferreira et al. 2019). The chemical structure of carvone (principal constituent) does not allow it to react by such a mechanism. In addition to the radical-scavenging assays, no AOX was observed for EEO in the other tests, except for phosphomolybdenum.

An IC₅₀ of 8.02 µg mL^-1 for the inhibition of the formation of species reactive to thiobarbituric acid was observed with CEO (Figure 3B). This value was lower than that found for BHT, for which an IC₅₀ of 229.31 µg mL^-1 was observed. Lipid oxidation is a chain reaction in which free radicals interact with unsaturated fatty acids to form a multitude of compounds, including malonaldehyde, which is responsible for imparting strange flavors and odors to foods, in addition to being a marker of oxidative damage in physiological systems. Malonaldehyde reacts with thiobarbituric acid to form a pink colored complex, so it is possible to determine whether an antioxidant is able to protect lipids against oxidation in the TBARS test (Ghani et al. 2017). In the case of CEO, whose principal compound identified was linalool, this activity can be attributed to the chemical structure of the monoterpene, which has double bonds and reduced functional groups that are susceptible to oxidation (Noacco et al. 2018), unlike carvone, the principal constituent identified in the EEO. In the study of Devasagayam, Boloor and Ramasarma (2003), the authors inferred that functional groups such as ketones can interfere in the assay because they can react with thiobarbituric acid.

Another test used to assess the ability of EOs to inhibit lipid peroxidation was that of β-carotene/linoleic acid. The capacity of the EO to protect the β-carotene system was evaluated (Duarte et al. 2016). However, the results were not as significant as in the TBARS method, where an IC₅₀ of 446.23 µg mL^-1 was observed for the CEO. Regarding BHT, the IC₅₀ values were 0.69 µg mL^-1. In the liposome assay, no activity was observed for either EO, with IC₅₀>2000 µg mL^-1. An IC₅₀ of 258.30 µg mL^-1 was observed for the BHT standard. Liposomes are strongly affected by the incorporation of EOs, as was observed in the study by Allaw et al. (2021), and this incorporation can influence the test result.

Metal complexation is also one of the mechanisms by which oxidation can be controlled because the metal ions catalyze this reaction and also participate in the formation of reactive oxygen species. The phosphomolybdenum assay is often used to determine the total antioxidant activity by evaluating the chelating capacity of a substance (Pavlić et al. 2021). In this study, it was observed that CEO and EEO were efficient in reducing the phosphomolybdenum complex. The absorbance values were higher than those of the BHT standard. The greater the slope of the straight line, the greater the reducing effect of the molecule (Figure 3C). Anthocyanins and some constituents of EOs are considered to be potent antioxidants. They are able to donate electrons or hydrogen atoms to free radicals or transition metals because they are stabilized by resonance structures that provide a certain stability to the radical formed (Qian et al. 2017).

Thus, the EO constituents are responsible for conferring AOX. This effect was isolated, synergistic or antagonistic. The methods used have different mechanisms of action, so the activity of an EO might be observed in a certain method and not seen in other tests, as was the case in this study.

Materials and methods

Plant materials

The dried seeds of the Coriandrum sativum L. (coriander) and Anethum graveolens (dill) and the dehydrated bulbs of Allium sativum (garlic) were purchased from the local market in the city of Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Extraction and chemical characterization of EOs

The extraction of EOs was performed by the hydrodistillation technique using a modified Clevenger apparatus, with an extraction period of two hours (Brasil, 2010). The hydrolate was centrifuged at 965.36g for fifteen minutes, separated with a Pasteur micropipette and placed in an amber glass flask under refrigeration at 4 ºC.

The identification of the constituents was performed by gas chromatography using a Shimadzu (Model QP 2010 Plus) chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS), and the quantitative analyses were performed using a Shimadzu gas chromatograph (Model GC–2010) equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID). The experimental conditions described by Ferreira et al. (2019) were followed. The constituents were identified by comparing the retention indexes with those in the literature (Adams 2007) using two NIST107 equipment libraries and the NIST21, by which the mass spectra obtained can be compared with those existing in the libraries.

Evaluation of antimicrobial activity

Two species of pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli (ATCC–EPEP 055) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC–13565) and two species of mycotoxigenic fungi, Aspergillus carbonarius (CCDCA 10507) and Aspergillus ochraceus (CCDCA 10490), were used. The microbial species were acquired from the Microorganisms Culture Collection of the Laboratory of Mycotoxins and Food Mycology, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil.

Determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) and antimicrobial activity by disc diffusion

The CLSI (2015) broth microdilution technique was used to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The concentrations of the essential oil were prepared using 0.5% Tween 80 (w/v). Dilutions were performed to yield concentrations of 100; 50; 25; 12.5; 6.25; 3.125; 1.565; 0.781 and 0.391 µl ml^-1. The inoculum was diluted in sterile saline solution (0.9%) until a turbidity corresponding to 0.5 on the McFarland scale (1 to 2 x 10⁸ CFU mL^-1) was reached and standardized by spectrophotometry with absorbance values between 0.08 to 0.1. Subsequently, 10 µL of this inoculum was added to the wells of a microplate containing Muller-Hinton broth. For the negative control, the bacterial suspension was not added; a sterile control of the culture medium (without the bacteria and without the EO) was used. For the positive control, the suspension was inoculated into wells containing the culture medium and Tween 80 (0.5%), but without the EO. The microplates were sealed and incubated at 37 ºC for 24 hours. After this period, 20 μL of 0.01% (m/v) resazurin dye was added, and the mixture was observed for 2 hours to detect the change in color of the dye from blue to pink, which indicated that the bacterial metabolism was active.

In the determination of MBC, 10 μL aliquots were removed from each of the wells of the previous analysis and transferred to Petri dishes containing Muller-Hinton agar. Plates were incubated at 37 ºC for 24 hours.

The solid medium disk diffusion test was also performed according to the CLSI (2003) method. The pure EO and that diluted with Tween 80 at concentrations of 500, 250, 125, 62.5, 31.25, 15.62, 7.81 and 3.90 µL mL^-1 were used. The plates were incubated in a BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) at 37 ºC for 24 hours and measurements of the diameters of inhibition halos were performed. Analyses were performed in triplicate.

Effect of EOs on mycelial growth of mycotoxigenic fungi

The inhibitory effect of EOs on the mycelial growth of filamentous fungi was evaluated according to the method of Caetano et al. (2020). The concentrations of the essential oil used were 3000, 2000, 1000, 500 e 250 µL L^-1. Plates containing only the culture medium and the fungus were also prepared. The plates were incubated at 25 ºC for seven days in a BOD. All the analyses were performed in triplicate.

In vitro antioxidant capacity

The in vitro antioxidant capacity (AOX) was evaluated by the capture of ABTS [2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radicals, as well as by the reduction of phosphomolybdenum and the inhibition of lipid peroxidation as measured by the thiobarbituric acid reactive species assays (TBARS), the β-carotene/linoleic acid system and liposomes utilizing the methods described in the literature (Prieto, Pineda and Aguilar, 1999; Kulisic et al. 2004; Dandlen et al. 2010; Teixeira et al. 2012; Boulanouar et al. 2013; Guerreiro et al. 2013). The EO was diluted in ethanol to yield the final concentrations of 500, 250, 200, 150, 100, 50, 25, 15, 2.5 and 1 µg mL^-1. The concentrations 2000; 1000; 500; 250; 125; 62.5 and 31.25 µg mL^-1 were utilized only for the liposome and TBARS tests. BHT was used as a standard for all the analyses. Absorbance measurements were performed on a UV/Vis spectrophotometer (Shimadzu UV-160 1 PC).

Effect of EOs on acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity

The effect of EOs on the activity of acetylcholinesterase was evaluated using the method of Ellman et al. (1961). The samples were diluted in ethanol at concentrations of 100; 50; 10; 5; 1.0; 0.50 and 0.25 µg mL^-1, and carvacrol was used as a standard for comparison.

Statistical analysis

The effects of the EOs on fungal growth were expressed as percentage inhibition of the colony growth in each treatment relative to the control. The treatments were arranged in a 5x3 factorial scheme (Concentration x OE) and subjected to analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA). The means were compared by the Tukey's post hoc test with a significance level of 5% (p ≤ 0.05) using the Sisvar software version 5.6 (Ferreira, 2011).

Conclusion

The greatest activity in inhibiting the growth of the fungi Aspergillus carbonarius and Aspergillus ochraceus and in inhibiting the activity of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme was observed for the essential oil from Allium sativum. This oil is being considered as an agent in the formulations of sanitizers, drugs and agrochemicals. Antimicrobial effects were also observed for the essential oils from Coriandrum sativum and Anethum graveolens. A satisfactory result in the antioxidant test of reactive species with thiobarbituric acid was only obtained with C. sativum. Thus, in vivo studies must be performed to demonstrate such biological properties in food systems, as well as by using new technologies such as nanotechnology to preserve and release essential oils in a controlled manner.

Funding

This work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG); the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq); and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) – Finance code 001.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that no conflict of interests exists.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank funding organs for the scholarships and financial support and the Central of Analysis and Chemical Prospecting of the Federal University of Lavras for supplying the equipment for chromatographic analyzes.

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