Green extraction of essential oils from Cinnamomum verum leaves through microwave and hydrodistillation techniques: Comparative analysis of chemical profiling, in vitro and in silico investigations

This study compares the yield, chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EOs) extracted from Cinnamomum verum leaves cultivated in northern Bangladesh using solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) and hydrodistillation extraction (HDE). Between the two EOs, HDE provided a higher yield (8.63 ± 0.017 g/kg) than SFME (6.78 ± 0.025 g/kg). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identified eugenol as the major constituent (SFME-96.6203 ± 0.0168 %, HDE-96.2713 ± 0.0131 %, p < 0.001), accompanied by minor components such as copaene, aromadendrene, humulene and caryophyllene oxide. Antioxidant activity, evaluated by the DPPH radical scavenging assay, revealed superior performance of both EOs compared with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), with IC 50 values of 2.356 ± 0.022 μg/mL (SFME) and 3.154 ± 0.031 μg/mL (HDE) contrasted with 6.175 ± 0.056 μg/mL for BHT. The SFME oil exhibited higher total phenolic (392.59 ± 0.14 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (45.02 ± 0.61 mg QCE/g) contents compared to HDE (128.21 ± 0.11 mg GAE/g and 9.25 ± 0.34 mg QCE/g, respectively). Both oils demonstrated pronounced antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria ( Staphylococcus aureus , Listeria monocytogenes , Bacillus cereus ), Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli , Salmonella abony , Pseudomonas aeruginosa ) and fungi ( Candida albicans ). Molecular docking studies further supported the antimicrobial potential of key EO constituents. These findings highlight C. verum leaves essential oils as promising natural agents for applications in food preservation and pharmaceuticals. Graphical abstract • Cinnamomum verum leaves EOs were extracted through SFME and HDE process. • Total four compounds were identified by GC-MS in both extraction process. • Extracted EOs showed excellent in-vitro antioxidant activity. • Antimicrobials test results are correlated with in-silico investigations. • These EOs have potential as alternatives additives in food and medication.