Chemical composition and in vitro antifungal and antioxidant activity of the essential oil and methanolic extract of Teucrium sauvagei Le Houerou

• Published in: Natural product research Vol. 20; no. 12; pp. 1089 - 1097
• Main Authors: Bel Hadj Salah, K., Mahjoub, M. A., Chaumont, J. P., Michel, L., Millet-Clerc, J., Chraeif, I., Ammar, S., Mighri, Z., Aouni, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis Group 01.10.2006
• Subjects: Antifungal activity in vitro; Antifungal Agents - chemistry; Antifungal Agents - toxicity; Antioxidant activity in vitro; Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - toxicity; Benzothiazoles; Biphenyl Compounds; Chromans - toxicity; Fungi - drug effects; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Hydrazines; Lamiaceae; Leaf essential oil; Oils, Volatile - chemistry; Oils, Volatile - toxicity; Picrates; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - toxicity; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Sulfonic Acids; Teucrium; Teucrium - chemistry; Teucrium - toxicity; Teucrium sauvagei; Tunisia; β-Eudesmol
• ISSN: 1478-6419; 1478-6427
• DOI: 10.1080/14786410600704748

The chemical composition and the in vitro antifungal and antioxidant activity of the essential oil and the methanolic leaf extracts of Teucrium sauvagei Le Houerou, an endemic medicinal plant growing in Tunisia, have been studied. More than 35 constituents having an abundance ≥0.2% were identified in the oil. β-Eudesmol, T-cadinol, α-thujene, γ-cadinene, and sabinene were the prevalent constituents. Results of the antifungal activity tests indicated that the methanolic extract inhibited the in vitro growth of seven dermatophytes, whereas the essential oil showed average inhibition against only three dermatophytes. In vitro antioxidant properties of the essential oil and the methanolic extract were determined by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) assays and compared to those of the synthetic antioxidant Trolox. Due to their antifungal and antioxidant properties, the essential oil and the methanolic extract of T. sauvagei may be of use as natural preservative ingredients in food and/or pharmaceutical industries.