Comparative Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity and Composition of Rose Oils from Various Geographic Origins, in Particular Bulgarian Rose Oil

Abstract

In the present study we evaluated the composition and antimicrobial activity of various rose oils from Bulgaria, Turkey, Morocco, Iran and China against three Gram-positive, three Gram-negative bacteria and two yeasts. The composition of the studied essential oils was determined by GC and GC/MS. Citronellol was the major compound of all the oil samples: 31.7% (Chinese oil); 32.6% (Iranian oil); 33.6% (Moroccan oil); 34.9% (Bulgarian oil) and 38,7 % (Turkish oil). For the Bulgarian oil we could determine the highest activity against all microorganisms. Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778 was the most sensitive strain to Bulgarian rose oil (MCC 128 μg/mL) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9627 and P. fluorescens were more resistible strains (MCC 4096 μg/mL). Antimicrobial activity of rose oils is mainly due to the action of oxygenated acyclic monoterpenes citronellol, geraniol, nerol and linalool, their acetate derivatives and the phenolic compound eugenol.