Antioxidant, Anti-5-lipoxygenase and Antiacetylcholinesterase Activities of Essential Oils and Decoction Waters of Some Aromatic Plants

The scavenging of free radicals and superoxide anion, the inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase and the antiacetylcholinesterase activities of essential oils and decoction waters of eight aromatic plants (Dittrichia viscosa , Foeniculum vulgare, Origanum vulgare, Salvia officinalis, Thymbra capitata , Thymus camphoratus, Thymus carnosus and Thymus mastichina) were studied. The essential oils were dominated by 1,8-cineole in S. officinalis (59%), T. mastichina(49%) and T. camphoratus (21%); borneol (20%) in T. carnosus; carvacrol in Thymbra capitata (68%); γ -terpinene (49%) in O. vulgare; α -pinene (26%) in F. vulgare; and trans-nerolidol (8%) +  β -oplopenone (7%) in D. viscosa. O. vulgare decoction waters had the highest amount of phenols (4 5 ± 3 mg GAE/mL) while F. vulgare only had 5 ± 0 mg GAE/mL. The decoction waters showed higher radical scavenging activity than the essential oils. O. vulgare decoction water showed the best antioxidant activity (IC 50= 3 ± 0  m g/mL), while the most effective essential oils were those of Thymbra capitata(IC 50=61 ± 2  m g/mL) and O. vulgare (IC 50=15 6 ± 5  m g/mL). Thymbra capitata (IC 50= 6 ± 0  m g/mL) decoction water showed the best superoxide anion scavenging activity. F. vulgare decoction water and essential oil revealed the best 5-lipoxygenase inhibition capacity (IC 50=2 7 ± 1  m g/mL and IC 50=6 8 ± 2  m g/mL, respectively). T. mastichina (IC 50=4 6 ± 4  m g/mL), S. officinalis (IC 50=5 1 ± 4  m g/mL), Thymbra capitata (IC 50=5 2 ± 1  m g/mL) and T. camphoratus (IC 50=13 7 ± 2  m g/mL) essential oils showed the best antiacetylcholinesterase activity.