CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF THYMUS SATUREIOIDES COSS. ESSENTIAL OIL
<p><strong>Objective: </strong><em>Thymus satureioides</em> is a well-known aromatic perennial shrub widely used throughout the Mediterranean basin as a culinary herb, in traditional medicine for the treatment of a variety of diseases, and as a natural preservative ingredient in the food industry. The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition of <em>T. Satureioides</em> essential oil and to assess its antibacterial and antioxidant activities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The chemical composition of the essential oil was investigated by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil was evaluated for its antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria using agar diffusion method and macro-broth dilution. The antioxidant activity was tested by three different methods, namely DPPH free radical scavenging, β-carotene/linoleic acid and TBARS assays.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty compounds were identified, representing 85.52% of the total composition of this essential oil. Borneol (26.45%) and thymol (11.24%) were the major components. The oil had a bactericidal activity against all tested bacteria, with the exception of <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em>. In addition, the <em>T. satureioides</em> essential oil revealed strong antioxidant activity in all conducted assays.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings suggest that essential oil of <em>T. satureioides</em> may be used as an alternative to synthetic antibiotics and antioxidants.</p>