Evaluation of Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Antifungal Properties of Satureja hortensis Essential Oil

Abstract

Background: Satureja is a genus belonging to the aromatic plants of Lamiaceae family. The genus Satureja L. (Lamiaceae) comprises more than 30 species of aromatic herbs and shrubs, widely distributed over the Mediterranean region. The genus is represented by 14 species in Iran of which, eight are endemic. Many species of the genus Satureja are reported to have aromatic and medicinal properties. The leaves, flowers, and stems of this plant are used as herbal tea and in treatment of various ailments in traditional medicine. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of essential oil (EO) of Satureja hortensis (Lamiaceae) that grows in Sabalan Mountain (Ardebil province, Iran). Materials and Methods: This EO was tested in vitro against two bacterial species by disk and agar well diffusion methods and against four bacterial species and three Candida strains by broth microdilution method. Total phenol, flavonoid, and free radical scavenging activity of EO were evaluated. Results: Total phenolic content was determined by using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent (32.65 mg/g), which was presented as gallic acid equivalent in 1 g of sample. IC50 of EO and ascorbic acid in DPPH method were respectively 277.9 and 19.34 µg. Minimum inhibitory concentration of the EO of S. hortensis against Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus cereus was respectively 2.5%, 2.5%, 5%, and 2.5%. The inhibition zone of EO in disk and agar well diffusion method showed that inhibitory zone on B. cereus was higher than that on S. typhimurium in both methods and B. cereus was more sensitive to EO. MIC to minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) ratio of S. hortensis EO against Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida krusei in broth microdilution method were respectively 0.048%:0.048%, 0.024%:0.024%, and 0.012%:0.012%. Conclusions: The data of the study clearly indicated that the EO of S. hortensis has a strong antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activity.

Green Synthesis of Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Satureja hortensis Essential Oil toward Superior Antibacterial/Fungal and Anticancer Performance

“…Therefore, the identification of useful materials of native plants, their extraction for the production of nanoparticles, and their medical applications has become very important due to the problems mentioned above and the diversity of climates and plant flora in Iran [ 32 ]. These features are especially important for plants, such as Satureja hortensis (SH), which is exclusively native to Iran and has received little studies [ 31 , 33 – 35 ]. Satureja hortensis is one of the plants from the mint family that has not only many applications in traditional medicine but also the antimicrobial activity of its phenolic compounds, thymol, and carvacrol has been proven to some extent on some fungal species [ 36 – 39 ].…”

Anti-bacterial/fungal and anti-cancer performance of green synthesized Ag nanoparticles using summer savory extract

“…The green synthesis of different types of nanoparticles using a diverse array of plant extracts has been reported [10][11][12]. One of the most essential herbs in Iran, which is native to different regions of the country, is Satureja sp [13][14][15][16]. Satureja is a plant that is widely used in various food products.…”

Variability in Biological Activities of Satureja montana Subsp. montana and Subsp. variegata Based on Different Extraction Methods

“…Some of the species are endemic, while others are found in broader regions. Satureja species are annual or perennial shrubs found mostly on dry, sunny, and rocky terrains [ 5 ]. The plants from this family are characterized by intensive odor originating from the essential oil (EO), which accumulates in glandular trichomes on the surface of stems, leaves, calyces, and corollas [ 6 ].…”

“…However, high biological potential makes them cognizable as significant raw materials for the pharmaceutical and food industries. Currently, the significant application is in traditional medicine to treat several ailments such as cramps, diarrhea, muscle pains, nausea, and infectious diseases [ 5 , 23 , 24 ]. Furthermore, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antispasmodic, antidiarrheal, carminative, digestive, antidiuretic, etc.…”