ABSTRACT
Three essential oils from three samples: stems, leaves and inflorescences of Thymus maroccanus Ball, obtained by hydrodistillation, were analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The oils of stems, leaves and inflorescences afforded 68, 49 and 51 constituents, respectively. Quantitative and qualitative differences have been found between the analysed parts. The most abundant components in the stems oil included carvacrol (60.8%), α-terpineol (4.7%) and p-cymene (2.4%), while carvacrol (33%), p-cymene (25.3%) and α-pinene (11.6%) were the main components in the leaves. In the inflorescences, carvacrol (84.9%) is the major component. Antibacterial activity of the T. maroccanus Ball leaves oil was tested against eight Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by the disc diffusion method. The values of inhibition zones for bacterial strains, which were sensitive to the essential oil of T. maroccanus leaves, were in the range of 11-43 mm.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Oils, Volatile/chemistry , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Thymus Plant/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Bicyclic Monoterpenes , Cyclohexane Monoterpenes , Cyclohexenes/chemistry , Cyclohexenes/pharmacology , Cymenes , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Gram-Negative Bacteria/drug effects , Gram-Positive Bacteria/drug effects , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Monoterpenes/chemistry , Monoterpenes/pharmacology , MoroccoABSTRACT
In order to valorise natural substances, concentrations of 20 mineral elements were evaluated in five species of Moroccan thyme. These species which belong to the Lamiaceae family are Thymus leptobotrys, Thymus broussonetii, Thymus maroccanus, Thymus pallidus and Thymus satureioïdes growing in different regions of central and southern Morocco. Samples of plants were subjected to digestion and heavy metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The highest concentrations of calcium, iron, zinc, cobalt and chromium were registered in T. broussonetii, T. pallidus, T. leptobotrys, T. maroccanus and T. satureioïdes with respective values of 1991, 423, 73, 6 and 11 mg/kg. Furthermore, silicium and boron were analysed only for the species T. broussonetii and their respective concentrations were found to be 112 and 43 mg/kg. The ultra trace elements Si, B, Ni, Ni, As, Li, V and toxic elements Cd and Pb were also evaluated. The results were treated by the method of principal components analysis.
