Active Principles in Basil Essential Oil – Ocimum basilicum L. Cotton Linings with Antibacterial Properties

Ocimum basilicum L. is an aromatic plant in the family Lamiaceae with bioactive properties used since ancient times in traditional medicine. The active ingredients of basil essential oil can be used in perfumes, pharmaceuticals, medicine, cosmetics or spices. In this study, the essential oil of basil was obtained by hydrodistillation in the Clevenger continuous extractor. It was characterized by GC-MS and 53 constituent compounds were identified. The majority compounds were highlighted: linalool, 64,569%, p-allyl anisol, 5,163%, Eucalyptol, 3,745%, α-Cadinene, 3,510%. Kovats indices were calculated and FT-IR analysis was performed to confirm the specific constituent compounds. The essential oil of basil was microbiologically analyzed against Escherichia coli (ATCC 10536) Gram-negative bacteria and against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) Gram-positive bacteria by diffusometric working method. Antibacterial activity was determined by measuring the diameter of the inhibition zone around the samples. Samples of filter paper and cotton fabric were used to simulate shoe lining and bandages. Basil essential oil has resistance against the tested strains, observing the increase of the inhibition zone with the increase of the amount of essential oil used in treatments (20 μL, 30 μL, 50 μL). The results showed that Ocimum basilicum L. may be a good candidate as a plant-derived antibacterial agent for medical footwear, wound dressings and other medical applications.