Chemical composition, antifungal and antioxidant activities of wild and cultivated Origanum compactum essential oils from the municipality of Chaoun, Morocco

Abstract

Origanum compactum is a medicinal species endemic to Morocco and highly exploited for its therapeutic properties. In the present study, we examined the chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oils from wild and cultivated O. compactum. The chemical composition was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The yield of essential oils was 3.5% for the wild plants and 3.4% for the cultivated plants. Twelve compounds have been identified in the essential oils of wild plants. Carvacrol was the predominant compound (59.0%), followed by p-cymene (18.4%) and then by γ-terpinene (8.4%). For the cultivated plants, 27 compounds were identified. Here again, carvacrol was the predominant compound (45.3%), followed by p-cymene (22.2%) and by γ-terpinene (10.1%). The antifungal activity of essential oils was evaluated against four Candida strains using the aromatogram method, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC). In semi-solid medium, essential oils were active against all the strains tested. In liquid medium, MIC values ranged from 216 to 234 μg/ml, while the MFC was 288 μg/ml. Antioxidant activity was investigated by 2,2-diphenyl-1,1,picrylhydrazil radical (DPPH) and the findings showed that the essential oils of both plants have a good antioxidant effect. In conclusion, domestication is a practical approach to preserve O. compactum from extinction without compromising its biological activities. Besides, the essential oils of O. compactum could be a promising and sustainable alternative to replace the synthetic compounds used currently in pharmaceutical and food industries.