Aroma Volatiles, Antibacterial, Antifungal and Antioxidant Properties of Essential Oils Obtained from Some Spices Widely Consumed in Egypt

The aim of this study was determine the volatile compounds, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the essential oils (EOs) of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum greacum), ginger (Zingiber officinale) and marjoram (Origanum majorana) widely consumed in Egypt. EOs showed a great variety of compounds in their chemical compositions, Trans-cinnamyl aldehyde, terpinene-4-ol, geranial and linolenic acid were the predominant aroma volatiles in cinnamon, marjoram, ginger and fenugreek with 57.37%, 36.6%, 32.75% and 24.28%, respectively. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) as well as antioxidant activity were also determined of four Egyptian aromatic plants. Ethanolic extract of cinnamon had the highest TPC and TFC while fenugreek methanolic extract had the lowest value. Cinnamon had the highest antioxidant profile, which was verified in DPPH and ABTS assays. Cinnamon and fenugreek EOs showed the highest antifungal activity against Fusarium moniliforme, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus ochraceus. Fenugreek and cinnamon oils showed maximum antibacterial activity against six bacterial strains. In conclusion, all tested essential oils have very strong potential applicability as antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant agents, specially cinnamon oil, which could be applied as additives in food and pharmaceutical industries.