Photochemical Hydroperoxidation of Terpenes. Antimicrobial Activity of α-Pinene, β-Pinene and Limonene Hydroperoxides

The rose Bengal photosensitized oxidation of the (+) and (−) stereoisomers of α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene has been optimized to produce sufficient quantities of hydroperoxides for antimicrobial screening. Experimental conditions allowed the production of highly concentrated solutions of hydroperoxides (approximately 2 M, approximately 30 w%). The antimicrobial activity of each hydroperoxide solution was evaluated by measuring their minimum...