Seasonal and Extraction-Dependent Variation in the Composition and Bioactivity of Essential Oils from Wild Rosmarinus officinalis L.

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of harvest season and extraction method on the yield, composition, and bioactivity of essential oils (EOs) from wild Rosmarinus officinalis L. plants collected in Algeria. Oils were obtained by hydro distillation (HD), steam distillation (SD), and microwave-assisted distillation (MD) across four seasons and characterized by GC–MS. Camphor, α-pinene, camphene, and 1,8-cineole were consistently dominant, with spring oils, particularly those extracted by microwave-assisted distillation, showing the highest enrichment in oxygenated monoterpenes (up to 59.6%). Functional assays revealed clear seasonal variation, whereas spring oils exhibited the strongest antioxidant capacity, with a FRAP value of 4.63 µg/mL, approaching that of the synthetic standard BHA (6.89 µg/mL), alongside notable anti-inflammatory effects. Antimicrobial screening indicated selective inhibition of Escherichia coli and Candida albicans, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis remained resistant. Acute toxicity evaluation confirmed safety at 2000 mg/kg. These findings demonstrate that ecological timing and extraction strategy critically determine rosemary EO properties and establish quantitative benchmarks for their pharmaceutical and industrial valorization.