Antioxidant activity of rosemary essential oil (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) by the DPPH method and use in moisturizing fluid

Abstract

The essential oil of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) has sparked scientific interest due to its rich chemical composition and pharmacological properties. However, factors such as the intrinsic characteristics of the plant and the extraction method used are often described as interfering with the yield and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, or antibacterial capacity of the oil. Therefore, the aim of this study was to extract the essential oil from rosemary leaves by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus for yield determination and evaluation of antioxidant activity using the DPPH method, as well as its use in a hydrating fluid. The extractions were performed for a duration of two hours in duplicate, with results expressed as a percentage. The determination of antioxidant activity was also performed in duplicate using the DPPH method, expressed as µgtrolox per gram of sample. The results showed an average yield of 0.92% and an antioxidant activity of 68.73 µgtrolox g-1 ± 0.61 with a 63.5% reduction of DPPH in the rosemary essential oil. For the hydrating fluid containing 0.5% of rosemary essential oil, the antioxidant activity was 37.3 µgtrolox g-1 ± 8.21, with a 36% reduction of DPPH.