Antioxidant and antifungal activities of essential oils from Algerian spontaneous plants against five strains of Fusarium spp.

Abstract

Summary The present study evaluates the antioxidant and antifungal effects of essential oils (EOs) from Thymus vulgaris, Thymus algeriensis, Mentha piperita, Mentha pulegium, Artemisia herba-alba and Artemisia campestris, on five strains of Fusarium. The chemical composition of EOs of T. vulgaris, T. algeriensis, A. herba-alba, M. piperita and M. pulegium is characterized by a dominance of the family of oxygenated monoterpenes with 73.85%, 59.41%, 70.01%, 60.01% and 87.2%, respectively. On the other hand, the EO of A. campestris showed a diverse composition by similar percentages between all families. The two strains BD17 and INRA 349 were found to be resistant to low concentrations of EOs from T. algeriensis, A. campestris and A. herba-alba, sensitive to EOs of M. pulegium and M. piperita and very sensitive to T. vulgaris EO (0.25 μl/ml). A high antioxidant effect was recorded by T. vulgaris EO in BCB assay with an effective concentration (0.5 mg/ml) 3 to 60 times higher compared to the other EOs tested. This antioxidant capacity of T. vulgaris EO was also recorded with DPPH assay at an EC50=1.41 mg/ml.

Thymus hirtus Willd. ssp. algeriensis Boiss. and Reut: A Comprehensive Review on Phytochemistry, Bioactivities, and Health-Enhancing Effects

“…GC-MS allowed the identification of an average of 43 volatile compounds in the Algerian T. algeriensis essential oils. They are mainly monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes responsible for the perfume [ 51 , 54 , 55 , 61 , 130 , 131 , 132 , 133 , 134 , 135 , 136 , 137 ]. Camphor, carvacrol acetate, elemol, linalool terpinene-4-ol, α-terpinyl acetate, thymol, α-pinene, β-myrcene, and γ-terpinene are the main constituents of Algerian essential oils, extracted by hydrodistillation, steam distillation, or by microwave ( Table 1 and Figure 3 ).…”

“…Based on major compounds, the populations of the northern region (Blida, Ain Defla, Medea) are characterized by the chemotypes linalool, terpinene-4-ol/camphor, terpinyl acetate/( trans )-nerolidol, thymol, and γ-terpinene/cymene [ 134 , 135 , 136 , 137 ]. The T. algeriensis of central regions (M’sila, Laghouat) contains camphor, camphor/borneol, carvacrol acetate/limonene, and α-terpinyl acetate as the main chemotypes [ 61 , 130 , 132 , 138 ]. Camphor, elemol/camphor, β-myrcene/camphor, germacrene D, and α-pinene are the chemotypes of the eastern region plants (Batna, Biskra, Guelma, Oum El Bouaghi, Soukahras) [ 51 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 131 , 139 , 140 ].…”

“…According to this research ( Table 1 ), there is a clear chemical variability between specimens of T. algeriensis collected in the different Algerian regional groups. These include the North (bioclimate Mediterranean sub-humid) [ 134 , 135 , 136 , 137 ], the East (Mediterranean sub-humid, arid to super arid bioclimate) [ 51 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 131 , 139 , 140 ] and the Centre (super arid, sub-Saharan to Saharan bioclimate) [ 60 , 130 , 132 ]. It is even present between provinces belonging to the same bioclimatic group.…”