Harnessing Rosmarinus officinalis: A Dual Approach to Antioxidant and Antifungal Activity in Food Preservation

Food is an essential part of human life, serving as a fundamental source of nutrition and energy. But has limited shelf life, so in order to increase the the latest and maintain it’s quality certain preservatives are used , they prevent poisoning, illnesses, increase the shelf life and maintain its nutritional values[1]. As much as synthetic preservatives are effective they have significant disadvantages. Health risks include allergic reactions, hormonal disruptions, and potential carcinogenic effects. Environmentally, they are often non-biodegradable, contributing to pollution and ecotoxicity, harming wildlife and ecosystems. Extracts from medicinal plants are promising alternative natural preservatives cause of Their biological properties (antioxidant and antimicrobial) due to the presence of several active aromatic compounds [2]In this work, the antimicrobial capacities of extracts from Rosmarinus officinalis are measured. They were chosen for their beneficial effects for human health and their notable properties and richness with phenolic compounds. The extract was obtained by the maceration method with a yield equal 14.34%, measuring the antifungal activity of Rosmarinus officinalis extract using three different concentration 250,200 and 150 mg/L, the extract showed activity against FOL Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici varies depending on the concentration, it showed highest inhibition percentage at 250 mg/L with τ=30.5%, as for the antioxidant activity the total phenolic compounds was measured , and several test been made ,by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-Azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazolin) -6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), and phenanthroline, the results showed that Rosmarinus officinalis extract exhibits an excellent antioxidant capacity.