The First Report on Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antienzymatic, Antibacterial, and Anticandidal Properties of <i>Teucrium gypsophilum</i> Essential Oils

Abstract

Abstract Teucrium gypsophilum is an endemic species of the Rif‐Moroccan region, known for its traditional medicinal uses. The main objective of this research is, for the first time, to characterize the volatile compounds and evaluate the antioxidant, antienzymatic, antibacterial, and anticandidal properties of Teucrium gypsophilum essential oils (TGEO). Using the GC–MS–MS technique, the analysis identified β ‐pinene (28. 6%), diethyl phthalate (20.70%), spathulenol (10.49%), ledol (6.92%), germacrene D (6.04%), α ‐pinene (5.8%), and d ‐limonene (4.26%) as the major components. Antioxidant activity was assessed using six different methods, including in 2,2′‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2‐ azino‐bis‐3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric ion reducing activity (CUPRAC), ferrous chelating, and phosphomolybdenum models, showing significant capacity of TGEO to reduce Cuprac, ABTS, FRAP, phosphomolybdenum, and DPPH radicals, with results of 106 ± 7.55 mg TE/g, 70.36 ± 0.11 mg TE/g, 63.53 ± 2.50 mg TE/g, 25.58 ± 0.59 mmol TE/g, and 10.21 ± 0.66 mg TE/g, respectively. Furthermore, TGEO exhibited promising inhibitory activity against tyrosinase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and α ‐amylase, with values of 13.23 ± 2.80 mg KAE/g, 6.75 ± 0.24 mg GALAE/g, 2.30 ± 0.02 mg GALAE/g, and 1.38 ± 0.07 mmol ACAE/g, respectively. The antibacterial and anticandidal activities of TGEO were also demonstrated, with inhibition zones ranging from 17 mm to 40 mm. These findings suggest that TGEO is a potential source of natural antioxidants, and exhibits antibacterial, anticandidal, and antienzymatic properties, making it a promising candidate for use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.