Chemical Composition, Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Essential Oil of Eucalyptus Globulus from Algeria

Essential oils are known for their use in various fields such as cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. The aim of this work is to investigate the chemical composition of essential oils from Eucalyptus globulus leaves (E. globulus) by gas-chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method, and to evaluate their antioxidant capacity (DPPH radical scavenging effect, reducing power, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation activity) as well as their antibacterial activity, against periodontopathogenic and cariogenic bacterial species, using microdilution method in 96-well microplates. In total, 26 compounds were identified with the predominance of oxygenated monoterpenes (78.58%); 1,8-Cineole (55.29%), Spathulenol (7.44%) and α-Terpineol (5.46%) being the main components. The analyzed oils exhibited a weak antioxidant capacity, but a marked antibacterial activity against Gram negative bacteria, mainly for F. nucleatum ATCC 25586 (MIC = 1.14 mg/mL) and P. gingivalis ATCC33277 (MIC = 0.28 mg/mL). Therefore, E. globulus essential oils may have a potential therapeutic application for the treatment of periodontal diseases.