Effects of Extraction Technique and Solvent on Phytochemicals, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activities of Cultivated and Wild Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) from Taounate Region (Northern Morocco)

Abstract

This work was set up to investigate the effects of domestication, solvent, and extraction technique on extracts yield, total phenolics content (TPC), flavonoids content (TFC), antimicrobial (minimal inhibitory concentration, MIC), and antioxidant (IC50) activities in rosemary aerial parts at flowering stage. Although solvent was the main variability source in our data, all tested factors significantly impacted yield, TPC, TFC, MIC, and IC50. These results were confirmed via principal component analysis, which separated solvents, extraction techniques, and rosemary types on the first three components accounting for more than 99% of data variability. Better values of yield (4.17 ± 0.30 –21.58 ± 0.93% DM ), TPC (12.48 ± 1.17–34.72 ± 1.65 mg GAE/g DM), TFC (6.51 ± 1.79–25.02 ± 1.53 mg QE/g DM), MIC (8.17 ± 1.04–24.20 ± 0.98 μg/mL), and IC50 (50.02 ± 0.08–390.00 ± 1.00 µg/mL) were obtained in the case of wild rosemary with Soxhlet extraction especially when combined with more polar solvents (ethanol and methanol). It could be concluded that domestication had negative effects on rosemary phytochemicals and associated antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Rosemary extracts could serve as important ingredients as food preservatives, antimicrobial agents, and nutraceuticals.