article · Antibiotics
This study investigated the chemical composition and biological activities of essential oil, acetonic extract, and methanolic extract from *Thymus capitatus* leaves, a plant traditionally used in northern Morocco. The methanolic extract showed the highest phenolic and flavonoid content, with paraben acid, cinnamic acid, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid being predominant in the extracts. The essential oil was rich in carvacrol. The essential oil and acetonic extract exhibited significant antioxidant activity. All samples protected DNA from oxidation, though they also had a prooxidant effect, and were found to be non-mutagenic. Furthermore, all samples effectively inhibited the growth of various microorganisms, with dermatophytes, especially *Microsporum canis*, being particularly susceptible.
This research validates the traditional uses of *Thymus capitatus* by identifying its active compounds and biological properties. Understanding its antioxidant and antifungal capabilities could lead to the development of new natural remedies or protective agents, offering potential benefits for health and medicine.
The findings suggest that *Thymus capitatus* essential oil and extracts could be highly useful for pharmaceutical industries. Potential applications include developing new natural antioxidant supplements or antifungal treatments, particularly for dermatological conditions. This represents early-stage research, identifying promising natural compounds and activities that require further development for real-world products.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Thymus capitatus is a Mediterranean endemic plant commonly known as “Zaïtra” in northern Morocco. As T. capitatus is widely used in traditional medicine and food, this present work aims to investigate the chemical compositions and biological activities of the T. capitatus leaves essential oil (TcLEO), acetonic (TcLAE), and methanolic extract (TcLME). The spectrophotometric determination demonstrated that T. capitatus is a natural source rich in phenolic contents (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC) and that TcLME revealed the highest TPC and TFC than TcLAE and TcLEO. The LC-MS analysis of phenolic compounds showed that paraben acid was predominant in both TcLME and TcLAE, followed by cinnamic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. GC-MS analysis of the TcLEO revealed the presence of a total of 10 compounds, which were predominated by carvacrol. The antioxidant activity by ORAC was observed to be significantly higher in TcLEO and TcLAE than in TcLME. All samples used to assess DNA degradation effectively prevented DNA oxidation and, at the same time, had a prooxidant effect. The genotoxicity test showed that the T. capitatus were devoid of any mutagenic activity. Concerning antifungal activity, all samples were able to inhibit the growth of all microorganisms tested at low concentrations. TcLAE showed higher activity than TcLME, and in general, dermatophytes were more susceptible, being Microsporum canis the most sensitive one. Overall, the results obtained from this study confirm the wide uses of T. capitatus. Furthermore, the finding results suggest that the T. capitatus essential oil and extracts can be highly useful for pharmaceutical industries.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11050681
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
