Phytochemicals, antioxidant, anti-acetyl-cholinesterase, and antimicrobial activities of decoction and infusion of Pelargonium graveolens

In Tunisia, Pelargonium graveolens is widely consumed as a food aromatizing hydrosol. Recent studies have shown the potential of plant solvent-free extracts as food and pharmaceutical natural additives. Accordingly, in this study, we investigate the phenolic content, the volatile fractions of green P. graveolens extracts such as infusion and decoction, and we evaluate their biological activities. The total phenolic content of the infusion (27.05 mg GAE/gDM) is significantly different from that of decoction (31.2 mg GAE/gDM). The GC-MS analysis identified about twenty volatile components in both extracts. The DPPH inhibition and the β-carotene bleaching tests of the infusion and the decoction had considerable results. Besides, infusion and decoction exhibited a relatively high anti-acetyl-cholinesterase activity and a considerable antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, among three tested pathogenic bacteria.