Laurus Nobilis

Laurus nobilis L. (Family Lauraceae), commonly known as bay, sweet bay, true laurel, or Roman laurel, is an evergreen tree widely distributed in the Mediterranean area and Europe. This book mainly deals with the phytochemical characterization of organic and aqueous extracts of Laurus nobilis. The author concluded that Laurus nobilis is a good source of some primary metabolites and secondary metabolites which showed various health benefits. Laurus nobilis showed the cell cytotoxicity in an ethyl acetate extract, which had the ability to inhibit the growth of cells. The antioxidant activity of Laurus nobilis and the isolated compounds was evaluated in vitro methods based on the free-radical scavenging properties of antioxidants in the Trolox equivalent antioxidant activity assay, in which Laurus nobilis showed the antioxidant activity in all extracts but the best result was found in the aqueous extract as compared to others.