Essential Oil of Myrtus communis L. as a Potential Antioxidant and Antimutagenic Agents.docVIP

Molecules 2010, 15, 2759-2770; doi:10.3390/moleculeOPEN ACCESS molecules ISSN 1420-3049 /journal/molecules Review Essential Oil of Myrtus communis L. as a Potential Antioxidant and Antimutagenic Agents Neda Mimica-Duki? 1,*, Du?an Bugarin 1, Slavenko Grbovi? 1, Dragana Miti?-?ulafi? 2, Branka Vukovi?-Ga?i? 2, Dejan Or?i? 1, Emilija Jovin 1 and Maria Couladis 3 1 Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, University of Novi Sad Faculty of Sciences. Trg Dositeja Obradovica 3. 21 000 Novi Sad, Serbia 2 Chair of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade. Studentski Trg 3/II, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia 3 Deparatment of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, Zografou 157 71, Athens, Greece * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: neda.mimica-dukic@dh.uns.ac.rs. Received: 20 January 2010; in revised form: 9 February 2010 / Accepted: 1 March 2010 / Published: 15 April 2010 Abstract: The present study describes DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity and antimutagenic properties of the essential oil of myrtle (Myrtus communis L.). Plant samples were collected from the two distant localities (southernmost and northern point) of the Montenegro coastline. Chemical profiles of the two samples were evaluated by GC-MS. In both of the samples monoterpenes were found to be the predominant compounds. Among them ?-pinene, linalool, 1,8-cineole, and myrtenyl acetate were the major compounds. Significant differences between the samples were found in the ranges of ?-pinene (14.7%–35.9%) and myrtenyl acetate (5.4%–21.6%). Both oils exhibited moderate DPPH scavenging activity, with IC50 values of 6.24 mg/mL and 5.99 mg/mL. The antimutagenic properties were assayed against spontaneous and t-BOOH-induced mutagenesis in Escherichia coli oxyR mutant IC