article · Antibiotics
This study investigated essential oils extracted from *Origanum compactum* and *Thymus zygis* plants from the Middle Atlas of Morocco. Researchers analysed their chemical composition using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, identifying carvacrol (75.70%) as the main component in *O. compactum* oil and thymol (40.67%) in *T. zygis* oil. The antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH and FRAP assays, revealing significant antioxidant potential comparable to ascorbic acid. Furthermore, both essential oils demonstrated strong antibacterial effects against six bacterial strains, comparable to synthetic antibiotics. The findings suggest these oils contain bioactive components with promising antioxidant and antibacterial properties.
Discovering natural compounds with strong antioxidant and antibacterial properties is crucial for developing safer alternatives to synthetic chemicals. These essential oils could offer new avenues for preserving food and treating infections, potentially reducing reliance on existing synthetic agents and contributing to public health and food security.
This early-stage research indicates that essential oils from *Origanum compactum* and *Thymus zygis* could be developed for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries. They show potential as natural substitutes for synthetic antioxidants and antibiotics. Future applications might include food preservation or new antimicrobial formulations, benefiting manufacturers seeking natural ingredients, though further research and development would be required to bring these to market.
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Essential oils are of great interest due to their potent pharmaceutical and biological activities. In this study, essential oils extracted from Origanum compactum and Thymus zygis originating from the Middle Atlas of Morocco were investigated. Their chemical compositions were analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, while the assessment of the trapping power of the radical (DPPH: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and the reducing antioxidant potential of ferric ions (FRAP: Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) were performed in order to evaluate the antioxidant activity. Their antibacterial potency was tested against six bacterial strains through the disk diffusion method. The chromatography analyses of the extracted essential oils highlighted the presence of two main components, namely carvacrol at 75.70% in O. compactum and thymol at 40.67% in T. zygis. The antioxidant activity tests showed that both essential oils demonstrated a significant antioxidant activity comparable to the positive control (e.g., ascorbic acid). The antibacterial activity results showed a strong antimicrobial effect for both essential oils, compared to synthetic antibiotics. This study affirms the presence of bioactive components with interesting antioxidant and antibacterial activities in the essential oils extracted from Origanum compactum and Thymus zygis, which could find several applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries through the substitution of synthetic antioxidants and antibiotics.
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DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13020139
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