Chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of Bene (Pistacia atlantica subsp. mutica) hull essential oil.

The tree Pistacia atlantica subsp. mutica, namely Bene, is widely distributed in Iranian mountains. Recent studies revealed that the oil of Bene was stable, even more stable than sesame oil, with antioxidant properties. This can give versatile applications for the oil. The volatile composition of this oil has not chemically been investigated so far. In this study, sixty three compounds were identified in the essential oil (EO) of Bene hull. The major components were determined to be α-pinene (20.8 %), camphene (8.4 %), β-myrcene (8.2 %) and limonene (8 %). Antioxidant activities of the essential oil from Bene hull were evaluated by using 2,2'- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), β-carotene bleaching test, thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) and Rancimat assays. The Bene essential oil exhibited significant antioxidant activities in FRAP and TBARS assays as compared with positive controls. In addition, the oil was evaluated for its antimicrobial activity against both Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. It showed significant antibacterial activities against S. aureus and E. coli with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 6 and 12.5 μg/mL, respectively.