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Antimicrobial activity of essential oil and aqueous and ethanol extracts of Teucrium polium L. subsp. gabesianum (L.H.) from Tunisia

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Abstract

The antimicrobial effects of essential oil, ethanol and aqueous extracts of Teucrium polium L. were investigated against 13 microorganisms. Extracts and essential oil were obtained from maceration, decoction and hydrodistillation respectively. Samples were tested for their antimicrobial activity using the disk diffusion, the agar dilution and the agar incorporation method. Essential oil was analysed using GC/MS, results showed that β-pinene (35.97%) and α-pinene (13.32%) were the main components. Furthermore, essential oil exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity, it was most effective against Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Citrobacter freundei where inhibition zone ranged between 15 and 25 mm, and with the microbial inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.078–0.156 mg/ml. The oil and ethanol extract showed the best antifungal activity against Microsporum canis, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, and Trichophyton rubrum with the inhibition percentage (I%) ranging from 18.94 to 100%. However, none of the samples exhibited antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus. In this study, the obtained results showed significant effects of essential oils and ethanol extracts of T. polium which may used as a substitute to the synthetic drugs against certain microbial diseases.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Tunisian Ministry of High Education and Scientific Research through the Research Unit of Macromolecular Biochemistry and Genetics, Faculty of Sciences of Gafsa. The authors gratefully acknowledge Prof. Mahjoub AOUNI from the Faculty of Pharmacy of Monastir, Tunisia, for his help and to host us in his laboratory: Laboratoire des Maladies Transmissibles et Substances Biologiquement Actives.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Researche of Macromolecular Biochemistry and Genetic, Faculty of Sciences of Gafsa, 2112, Zarroug City, Gafsa, Tunisia

    Mahmoud Ben Othman & Lazhar Zourgui

  2. Laboratory of Transmissible Diseases and Biologically Active Substances, Faculty of Pharmacy, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia

    Karima Bel Hadj Salah-Fatnassi

  3. Jazan University, Faculty of Science Jazan, Jazan, Saudi Arabia

    Saida Ncibi

  4. Laboratory of Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Monastir, 5000, Tunisia

    Amer Elaissi

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  1. Mahmoud Ben Othman
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  2. Karima Bel Hadj Salah-Fatnassi
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  3. Saida Ncibi
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  4. Amer Elaissi
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  5. Lazhar Zourgui
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Correspondence to Mahmoud Ben Othman.

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Ben Othman, M., Bel Hadj Salah-Fatnassi, K., Ncibi, S. et al. Antimicrobial activity of essential oil and aqueous and ethanol extracts of Teucrium polium L. subsp. gabesianum (L.H.) from Tunisia. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 23, 723–729 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-017-0444-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-017-0444-9

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