Effect of Nano-iron Chelate on Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Properties of Carum Copticum L. Essential Oil and Its Main Terpenes from Iran

The effect of exogenous application of nano-iron chelate (100 and 200 mg/l) in early flowering stage on components of essential oils (EOs) of Carum copticum was evaluated. The EO extracted by hydrodistillation from Iranian C. copticum was characterized by means of GC/MS. The nano-iron chelate application increased γterpinene and thymol and decreased α-pinene, β-pinene and p-cymene concentration. The oil was also subjected to antimicrobial activity. C. copticum oil was found to inhibit Bacillus cereus and Candida albicans with the lowest MIC and MBC/MFC values. Thymol and carvacrol possessed the highest antimicrobial activity among the major components. These results clearly show the antimicrobial effects of the essential oil C. copticum. Introduction The presence and growth of microorganisms in food may cause spoilage and result in a reduction in quality and quantity. Food poisoning is still a concern for both consumers and the food industry despite the use of various preservation methods. The problem of preserving food products is becoming more complex, due to the fact that the new products being introduced in the market require an ever longer shelf life and a higher degree of protection against pathogenic microorganisms (Marino et al. 2001). Aromatic and medicinal plants are known to produce certain bioactive molecules which react with other organisms in the environment, inhibiting bacterial or fungal growth (Sengul et al. 2009). Indeed, natural crude extracts and biologically active compounds from plant species used in traditional medicine may represent valuable sources for such new preservatives (Al-Fatimi et al. 2007). Application of plant materials as dietary regimens and preservatives is mainly due to their antioxidant, antimicrobial and other biological potentials. Antioxidants can inhibit or delay the oxidation of oxidizable substrates and this appears to be very important in the prevention of oxidative stress which is suggested as the leading cause of many oxidation related diseases (Halliwell et al. 1992). Carum copticum L. is an aromatic, grassy, annual plant grown in Iran. The seeds of C. copticum have several therapeutic effects, including diuretic, antivomiting, analgesic, antiasthma, and antidyspnea effects. Mohagheghzadeh et al. (2007) showed that C. copticum has two chemotypes, thymol and carvacrol. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the chemical composition and antimicrobial properties of the essential oils (EO) from C. copticum seeds and to determine the compounds that contributed to the effects. Materials and Methods The plant was identified by Dr. Esmaili and a voucher specimen has been deposited at private herbarium of Mr F Esmaili (Voucher No. 121). Two separate sets of experiments were conducted Author for correspondence: .