Physical Properties, Chemical Composition, and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils from Apiaceae Species Cultivated in Sudan

Ahlam Salih E ltahir; Tahani Ebrahim; Sara Elkheir Mustafa

doi:10.52981/jfst.v10i10.3401

Ahlam Salih E ltahir Department of Botany, Faulty of Science and Technology, Omdurman Islamic University.
Tahani Ebrahim Department of Botany, Faulty of Science and Technology, Omdurman Islamic University.
Sara Elkheir Mustafa Department of Botany, Faulty of Science and Technology, Omdurman Islamic University.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52981/jfst.v10i10.3401

Keywords: Physical, Chemical, Antioxidant, Activities, Apeaceae, Carum carvi, Coriandrum sativum, Foeniculum vulgare, Pimpinella anisum

Abstract

Essential oils from Apiaceae plants are widely used in food preservation, traditional medicine, and aromatherapy due to their bioactive constituents. However, limited information exists on the chemical composition and biological activity of Sudanese-grown Apiaceae fruits. Essential oils were extracted from the dried fruits of Carum carvi, Coriandrum sativum, Foeniculum vulgare, and Pimpinella anisum by hydrodistillation. Oil yields and physicochemical properties (specific gravity, refractive index, optical rotation) were determined. Chemical composition was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, with propyl gallate as a reference standard. Oil yields ranged from 0.37% (C. sativum) to 2.29% (F. vulgare). Physical properties were within reported ranges, though optical rotation values showed notable variation. GC–MS analysis revealed that the oils were dominated by monoterpenes and phenylpropanoids, with carvone in C. carvi, linalool in C. sativum, anethole in P. anisum, and estragole in F. vulgare as the major constituents. In the DPPH assay, P. anisum exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity (43 ± 0.09%), followed by C. carvi (40 ± 0.07%), C. sativum (36 ± 0.02%), and F. vulgare (33 ± 0.03%). Although less potent than propyl gallate (91 ± 0.01%), the oils demonstrated moderate antioxidant potential. Essential oils from Sudanese Apiaceae fruits showed distinctive chemical profiles and moderate antioxidant activity, supporting their potential as natural preservatives and functional ingredients.

References

- Abd El Kareem Mamoun S. M. Rabbih Mohamed A. Rashad EL Hefny Mervat A. M. . Essential oils from fennel plants as valuable chemical products: gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, FTIR, quantum mechanical investigation, and antifungal activity. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery (2025) 15:9173–9191 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-024-05675-2
- Abdelbaky, A.S., Mohamed, A.M.H.A., Abd El-Mageed, T.A. et al. Bio-organic fertilizers promote yield, chemical composition, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oil in fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds. Sci Rep 13, 13935 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40579-7
- Abd-Elhafeez, Eslam M.A.; Ramadan, Bolbol R.; Abou-El-Hawa, Salah H.M. and Rashwan, Mohamed R.A. Assiut , 2023, Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Anise and Fennel Essential Oils Journal of Agricultural Sciences 54 (2) 2023 (127-140) ISSN: 1110-0486 / EISSN: 2356-9840 Website: http://ajas.journals.ekb.eg/ DOI: 10.21608/ajas.2023.177714.1211
- Acimovic MG, Kostadinovic LM, Puvaca NM, Popovic SJ and Urosevic MI. Phytochemical constituents of selected plants from Apiaceae family and their biological effects in poultry. Food and Feed Research, 43: 35-41. 2016.
- AlBalawi, A.N.; Elmetwalli, A.; Baraka, D.M.; Alnagar, H.A.; Alamri, E.S.; Hassan, M.G. Chemical Constituents, Antioxidant Potential, and Antimicrobial Efficacy of
- Pimpinella anisum Extracts against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria. Microorganisms 2023, 11, 1024. https://doi.org/10.3390/ microorganisms11041024
- Al-Snafi, A.S, Constituents and therapeutic activities of Pimpinella anisum: A review Article, International Journal of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences Archive , 2024, 08(02), 067-078.
- Anwar Farooq, Ali Muhammad, Hussain Abdullah Ijaz, Muhammad Shahid. 2009. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oil and extracts of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) seeds from Pakistan 2016 Dec; 3(4): 25. doi: 10.3390/medicines3040025
- Borotová .P , Galovičová.L , Valková.V, Ďúranová.H, Biological activity of essential oil from Foeniculum vulgare., Acta hort regiotec, 24, 2021(2): 148–152 1
- Chahal K.K., Singh Ravinder, Kumar Amit and Bhardwaj Urvashi Department of Chemistry, Punjab [Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources Vol. 8(3), September 2017, pp. 193-203 Chemical composition and biological activity of Coriandrum sativum L.: A review Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004, Punjab, India ]
- Chophi R, S Sharma, S Sharma, R Singh. Trends in the forensic analysis of cosmetic evidence. Forensic Chem. 2019; 14: 100165.
- Christensen LP, Brandt K. Bioactive polyacetylenes in food plants of the Apiaceae family: occurrence, bioactivity and analysis. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2006 Jun 7;41(3):683-93. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2006.01.057. Epub 2006 Mar 7. PMID: 16520011.
- Clara I. Lizarazo, Anna-Maija Lampi, Pirjo S.A. M¨akel¨a , 2021 DOI: 10.5937/savteh 2001037G
- Elkiran Omer Telhuner Ozge , 2025. Chemical Profiles and Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oil From Different Plant Parts of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.)
- Elkiran Omer, Telhuner Ozge, 2025, Chemical Profiles and Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oil From Different Plant Parts of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) Food Science & Nutrition, 2025; 13:e70307 https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.70307 Food Science & Nutrition, 2025; 13:e70307 https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.70307
- Foroughi A, Pournaghi P, Najafi F, Zangeneh A, Zangeneh MM and Moradi R. Antibacterial effect and phytochemical screening of essential oil of Pimpinella anisum against Escherichia coli O157: H7 and Staphylococcus aureus. International Journal of Current Pharmaceutical Research, 7: 367-371. 2016.
- Gajić Ivana, Ljiljana Stanojević, Ana Dinić, Jelena Stanojević, Ljubiša Nikolić, Vesna Nikolić, Vesna Savić] [Advanced technologies 9(1) (2020) 37-43 THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL AND VOLATILE COMPOUNDS FROM CARAWAY FRUIT (CARUM CARVI L.) EXTRACTED BY HEADSPACE-SOLID PHASE MICROEXTRACTION AND THE ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY
- Hao, Y.; Kang, J.; Guo, X.; Yang, R.; Chen, Y.; Li, J.; Shi, L. Comparison of Nutritional Compositions and Essential Oil Profiles of Different Parts of a Dill and Two -
- Fennel Cultivars. Foods 2021, 10, 1784. https://doi.org/10.3390/ foods10081784 https://doi.org/10.1002/ffj.1929
- Kikusato M. Phytobiotics to improve health and production of broiler chickens: functions beyond the antioxidant activity. Animal Bioscience, 34: 345-353. 2021.
- Mahieyuddin NN, Moshawih S, Ming LC, Zulkifly HH, KifliN, Loy MJ, Sarker MMR, Al-worafi YM, Goh BH, Thuraisingam S, Goh HP. Coriadrum sativum L.:A Review on Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Cardiovascular Benefits, Molecules. 2021Dec 30;27(1):209. Doi:10.3390/molecules27010209.PMID:35011441;PMCID: PMC8747064
- Nanasombat S and Wimuttigosol P. Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of spice essential oils. Food Science and Biotech nology, 20: 45-53. 2011. oil composition?, Industrial Crops & Products 170 (2021) 113793, oil composition?, Industrial Crops & Products 170 (2021) 113793
- Onadja Yentema, Ouedraogo Alioune and Samate Abdoul Dorosso, 2007. Chemical Composition and Physical Characteristics of the Essential Oil of Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng of Burkina Faso. Journal of Applied Sciences, 7: 503-506.DOI: 10.3923/jas.2007.503.506 URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/ doi=jas.2007.503.506
- Pirbalouti AG, Oraie M, Pouriamehr M, Babadi ES. Effects of drying methods on qualitative and quantitative of the essential oil of Bakhtiari savory (Satureja bachtiarica Bunge.). Ind Crops Prod. 2013; 46: 324-327.
- Sayed Ahmad Bouchra, Thierry Talou, Zeinab Saad, Akram Hijazi, Othmane Merah. The Apiaceae: Ethnomedicinal family as source for industrial uses. Industrial Crops and Products, Elsevier, 2017, 109, pp.661-671. 10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.09.027
- Sedlakova J., Kocourkova B., Lojkova L., Hort V. Kuban. Sci. (Prague), 30, 2003 (2): 73–79The essential oil content in caraway species (Carum carvi L.)
- Shimada, K., Fujikawa, K., Yahara, K. and Nakamura, T. (1992) Antioxidative Properties of Xanthan on the Autoxidation of Soybean Oil in Cyclodextrin Emulsion. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 40, 945-948. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf00018a005
- Singh G, Maurya S, Lampasona M P D and Catalan C A N, Studies on the essential oils, part 41: Chemical composition, antifungal, antioxidant and sprout suppressant activities of coriander (Coriandrum sativum) essential oil and its oleoresin, Flav Frag J, 2006, 21, 472–479.
- Sukhdev, S.H. (2008) An Overview of Extraction Techniques for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. In: Sukhdev, S.H., Suman, P.S.K., Gennaro, L. and Dev, D.R., Eds., Extraction Technologies for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, United Nations Industrial
Development Organization and the International Centre for Science and High Technology, Italy, 25-54
- Ullah.M.A, Ali Hassan and Ameer Hamza, (2024), Medical Utilization of Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L)-Products, J. Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology Research, 7(4); DOI:10.31579/2688-7517/176
- Wissal Dhifi, Sana Bellili, Sabrine Jazi, Nada Bahloul, and Wissem Mnif Medicines (Basel). Essential Oils’ Chemical Characterization and Investigation of Some Biological Activities: A Critical Review