Comparative Study Between Antioxidant Activity and Antibacterial Effect of Usnea barbata (L)F.H.Wigg Extracts and Volatile Oils Marked in Romania

Abstract

Usnea barbata (L.)F.H.Wigg is a lichen used in traditional medicine about 2000 years. Responsible for it biological effects are the secondary metabolites. Essential oils are used in aromatherapy because of the antimicrobial activity of their compounds. The aim of this study is to establish if it is a correlation between the antioxidant activity and antibacterial effect of both types of natural products.. In this study were used two Usnea barbata extracts and five essential oils – aetheroleum (aeth.) - from the same producer: Thymi aeth., Melissae aeth., Menthae aeth., Lavandulae aeth. and Eucalypti aeth. The antioxidant activity was determined by spectrophotometric method. The obtained results showed that all the analyzed Usnea barbata extracts and essential oils have antioxidant potential, with various intensities. Correlation of its antioxidant activity with antibacterial effects, shows that between both mentioned actions there is a relationship of direct proportionality.

Keywords

• usnea barbata (l.)f.h.wigg extracts
• essential oils
• antioxidant activity
• antibacterial effect