Chemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial and antifungal activity of Moroccan Cistus Creticus leaves

Abstract The essential oil from the Cistus leaves of Tafraout, Morocco was obtained by hydro-distillation and analyzed using the gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method. The total phenol content, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of crude extract, fractions (flavonoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids) and essential oil of Cistus Creticus leaves were studied. Total polyphenol, flavonoid, and condensed tannin's contents were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu, aluminum chloride and vanillin colorimetric methods, respectively. The antioxidant activity of essential oil and different extracts from C.leaves was determined by two methods: free radical scavenging method DPPH and the FRAP) The different extracts studied showed an antioxidant activity, with 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) values varied between 0.01 and 2.53 mg/mL for DPPH test and 0.1 to 0.53 mg/mL for FRAP test. The antioxidant capacity was significantly higher for flavonoids and saponins, compared to the other extracts. The crude extract and essential oil were examined for their antimicrobial and antifungal activities.