Chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oil of Thymus algeriensis wild-growing in Libya

Abstract

The composition of essential oil isolated from Thymus algeriensis growing wild in Libya was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The essential oil was characterized with thymol (38. 50%) as the major component. The oil was screened for antioxidant activity using DPPH assay, and compared to thymol and carvacrol. Antioxidant activity was high, with the IC50 of 0. 299 mg/ml, compared to 0. 403 and 0. 105 mg/ml for thymol and carvacrol, and 0. 0717 mg/ml for BHA. In addition, antimicrobial activity was tested against eight bacteria and eight fungi. T. algeriensis oil showed inhibitory activity against tested bacteria at 0. 001-0. 05 mg/ml, while bactericidal activity (MBC) was achieved at 0. 0025-0. 05 mg/ml. For antifungal activity MICs ranged 0. 0005-0. 025 mg/ml and MFC 0. 001-0. 05 mg/ml. High antimicrobial activity against the fungi in particular suggests that the essential oil of Thymus algeriensis could have a useful practical application. © 2013 Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Wien.