title: Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of essential oils of Satureja thymbra growing wild in Libya.
abstract: The composition of essential oil isolated from Satureja thymbra, growing wild in Libya, was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The essential oil was characterized by γ-terpinene (39.23%), thymol (25.16%), p-cymene (7.17%) and carvacrol (4.18%) as the major constituents. Antioxidant activity was analyzed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method. It possessed strong antioxidant activity (IC50 = 0.0967 mg/mL). The essential oil was also screened for its antimicrobial activity against eight bacterial and eight fungal species, showing excellent antimicrobial activity against the microorganisms used, in particular against the fungi. The oil of S. thymbra showed bacteriostatic activity at 0.001-0.1 mg/mL and was bactericidal at 0.002-0.2 mg/mL; fungistatic effects at 0.001-0.025 mg/mL and fungicidal effects at 0.001-0.1 mg/mL. The main constituents thymol, carvacrol and γ-terpinene also showed strong antimicrobial activity. The commercial fungicide bifonazole showed much lower antifungal activity than the tested oil.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden Jevremovac, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Abdulhmid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giweli
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Džamić
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soković
authors.forename: Mihailo S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ristić
authors.forename: Petar D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Marin
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D000081007:Cymenes; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008002:Libya; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010851:Picrates / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031362:Satureja / Q000737:chemistry*; D013943:Thymol / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D000081007:Cymenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; C007210:4-cymene; D013943:Thymol; C018669:gamma-terpinene; C073316:carvacrol; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl