Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Essential Oil ofRosmarinus officinalisCultivated in Djerba

A novel chemotype of essential oil from Rosmarinus officinalis, characterized by the presence of 1,8-cineole/camphor/α-pinene/verbenone/borneol, was identified in Djerba, Tunisia. This discovery expands the known chemical diversity of Tunisian rosemary oils and demonstrates that cultivated plants exhibit similar antioxidant and antibacterial properties to wild-growing species. The study employed GC-MS analysis for chemical profiling, DPPH assay for antioxidant activity assessment, and agar-well diffusion method for antibacterial testing against six bacterial strains. Results revealed moderate antioxidant activity (IC50: 4.186–7.298 mg/mL) and strong to moderate antibacterial efficacy (MIC: 0.156–5 mg/mL), underscoring the potential of Djerba's rosemary oils for therapeutic applications.

Akrout, A., Hajlaoui, H., Mighri, H., Najjaa, H., Jani, H. E., Zaidi, S., & Neffati, M. (2010). Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Essential Oil ofRosmarinus officinalisCultivated in Djerba. Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants, 13(4), 398–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/0972060x.2010.10643841