Full Length Research Paper

Chemical composition of lavender essential oil and its antioxidant activity and inhibition against rhinitis-related bacteria

Lu Hui^1,2, Li He², Lu Huan¹, Li XiaoLan³* and Zhou AiGuo⁴

¹Teaching and Research Section of Anthropotomy, Medical School of ShiHeZi University, ShiHeZi city, Xinjiang 832008, PR China.

²Department of Anthropotomy and histoembryology, TongJi Medical College of HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China.

³Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of ShiHeZi University, ShiHeZi city, XinJiang 832008, PR China.

⁴Acute Surgery Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of ShiHeZi University, ShiHeZi city, PR China.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: lixlsdr@yahoo.com.cn. Tel/Fax: +86-993-2858458.

Accepted 22nd January, 2010

   Abstract

In this study we assessed the chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Lavender essential oil. The antioxidant and antibacterial capacity of test sample was assayed by a linoleic acid system and conventional method of bacterial growth inhibition. The results demonstrated that the essential oil consisted of 1,5-Dimethyl-1-vinyl-4-hexenyl but yrate as the most abundant component (43.73%), followed by 1,3,7-Octatriene, 3,7-dimethyl- (25.10%), Eucalyptol (7.32%), and Camphor (3.79%). Lavender essential oil display the stronger antioxidant activity against lipid peroxidation in a linoleic acid model system and good antibacterial activity against four rhinitis-related bacteria including staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus ascoformans, Proteus vulgaris and Escherichia coli.

Key words: Antibacterial, Lavender; antioxidant, essential oil, extraction, rhinitis.