Chemical composition and antioxidant and anticandidal activities of essential oils from different wild Moroccan Thymus species.
Samples of the aerial parts of Thymus broussonetii, T. ciliatus, T. leptobotrys, T. maroccanus, T. pallidus, T. satureioides, and T. serpyllum collected from different natural regions in southern and south-western Morocco were analyzed for their qualitative and quantitative essential oil profiles. In total, 46 compounds, representing more than 99% of the oils, were characterized. Monoterpenes, both hydrocarbons (12.9-58.0%) and oxygenated monoterpenes (38.8-81.1%), were the principal classes of compounds for most of the thyme species studied. Cluster analysis allowed the classification of the species into three main groups: a carvacrol group (Group I), comprising the species T. maroccanus and T. leptobotrys, a linalyl acetate and (E)-nerolidol group (Group II), represented by T. serpyllum, and a thymol and/or carvacrol, γ-terpinene, and p-cymene group (Group III), composed of T. satureioides, T. broussonetii, T. ciliatus, and T. pallidus. The essential oils were screened for their antioxidant and anticandidal activities. The data showed that the oils obtained from T. leptobotrys and T. maroccanus (carvacrol group) possessed the highest antioxidant activities as assessed by the determination of the DPPH free radical-scavenging ability and the ferric-reducing potential. The anticandidal assays indicated that the highest activity was noticed for the essential oil isolated from T. leptobotrys.
Laboratoire de Biotechnologie, Protection et Valorisation des Ressources Végétales, Faculté des Sciences, Semlalia, Université Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco.
Chaima Alaoui
CA
Jamali
Laila
L
El Bouzidi
Khalid
K
Bekkouche
Hassani
H
Lahcen
Mohammed
M
Markouk
Hans
H
Wohlmuth
David
D
Leach
Abdelaziz
A
Abbad
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000737:chemistry; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D009018:Morocco; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial / Q000737:chemistry; D046930:Thymus Plant / Q000737:chemistry*
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D005609:Free Radicals; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile