Ancient Essential Oils: Exploring the Effects of Age on Bioactivity

Title
Ancient Essential Oils: Exploring the Effects of Age on Bioactivity
Publication Date
2011
Author(s)
Sadgrove, Nicholas
Jones, Graham L
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6435-1542
Email: gjones2@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:gjones2
Watson, Kenneth
Editor
Editor(s): Luigi Mondello and K Husnu Can Basera
Type of document
Conference Publication
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Inc
Place of publication
United States of America
Series
Journal of Essential Oil Research
UNE publication id
une:11088
Abstract
It seems reasonable to expect that the molecular composition and bioactivity of essential oils will undergo changes after protracted storage times, reflecting, among other things, the effects of differential evaporation, photo-oxidisation or temperature. These effects may produce significant changes despite careful handling and storage during the ensuing storage period. Long-term effects are not expected to be consistent across a range of oils, which makes it relatively difficult to predict successful preservation or changes in activity as benign or otherwise. Here we compare the composition and bioactivity of oils prepared by hydrodistillation from a range of common aromatic plants over 75 years ago and subsequently stored at room temperature with oils from the same species recently hydrodistilled in our laboratory or sourced from commercial suppliers. Tests for bioactivity focus on free radical scavenging, antioxidant, antimicrobial and antifungal activities across a range of essential oils; using DPPH, FRAP, broth dilution/disc diffusion and a core transplant method, respectively. TLC and TLC-bioautography is used to further correlate effects of likely changes in chemical composition with bioactivity of discrete components identified following characterization using GC/MS. Results may serve as a useful guide for appropriate preservation of commercial essential oils.
Link
Citation
Journal of Essential Oil Research, p. 116-116
ISSN
1041-2905
Start page
116
End page
116

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