Chemical Composition And Biological Activities Of Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare Mill.) Essential Oils And Ethanolic Extracts Of Conventional And Organic Seeds

Essential oils and ethanolic extracts of seeds of seven organically and conventionally grown accessions (E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, and E7) of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) were examined for their chemical constituents, antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Accession E7 presented the highest essential oil yields of 4.30 +/- 0.45 and 3.24 +/- 0.46%, respectively, for organic and conventional mode. However, E6 noted the lowest ethanolic extract yield in the two modes of cultivation. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of the essential oils revealed the presence of nine essential components in all plant materials. (E)-anethole, methyl-chavicol, fenchone, and limonene were highly abundant. A considerable antioxidant effect was shown for all accessions and a significant difference (p < .05) was reported in the mode of cultivation of essential oils and ethanolic extracts. Concerning antibacterial activity, the essential oils showed generally higher antibacterial activity on gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria than ethanolic extracts for organic and conventional fennel seeds.Practical applications Foeniculum vulgare is an aromatic plant widely used nowadays as flavoring as well as food preservative in foods, such as ice cream, meat, and fish dishes. In this context, the chemical composition and biological activities of essential oil and ethanolic extract from fennel seeds cultivated in organic and conventional modes were studied. Fennel seeds extracts presented a richness in polyphenols and flavonoids. In addition, they showed considerable antioxidant activity, while essential oils had a higher antibacterial activity. There is increase demand, nowadays, for such natural and safe products for future applications in the food industries.