Phytochemical Composition, Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Properties of Foeniculum vulgare Essential Oil

Abstract

This study intended to inspect the phytochemical composition and bioactivity of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Seed Essential Oil (FSEO) from Jordan. The EO was extracted via hydrodistillation from air-dried samples with 4.42% (v/w) yield. Twenty compounds, constituting around 98.5% of the EO were identified using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Estragole (47.15%) and Anethole (36.2%), appeared as predominant oxygenated monoterpenes compounds in the FSEO. Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimal Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) assays were conducted to assess the antimicrobial potential of FSEO against various strains with MIC90 values ranging from 2.13 mg/ml to 2.76 mg/ml. Notably, FSEO exhibited a significant activity against MRSE and S. aureus. Furthermore, FSEO demonstrated substantial phenolic content (39.59±0.062 mg GAE/g dry plant material), flavonoid content (20.95±0.146 mg CE/g dry extract), and tannin (7.15±0.1 mg QE/g dry extract). Antioxidant efficacy, evaluated using DPPH and ABTS assays revealed dose-dependent scavenging activity, with IC₅₀ values of 126.05±1.01 µg/mL and 49.24±1.02 µg/mL, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of FSEO as an antimicrobial and antioxidant agent.