Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Essential Oils: A Short Review

Miguel, Maria Graça

The antioxidant effect of test substances can be evaluated by monitoring the conjugated diene formation at the early stage of lipid peroxidation. The hydroperoxides formed from methyl linoleate by oxidation at 40 ºC was measured by [43] over time, spectrophotometrically, at a wavelength of 234 nm (for conjugated diene absorption). The oils of Thymus vulgaris L. (thyme), [Eugenia caryophyllus (C. Spreng) Bull et Hare] (clove), and Ocimum basilicum L. (basil) had appreciable antioxidant activities, comparable to that of α-tocopherol, the reference chosen by the authors [43] . In the thyme oil p-cymene and thymol predominated; in the clove oil, eugenol and β-caryophyllene dominated; and in basil oil, linalool, isoanethole and eugenol constituted the major components. All of these components present in different relative percentages in the oils had similar ability for preventing lipidic peroxidation.