Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OIL FROM ROMANIAN SATUREJA MONTANA L.

ADRIANA TRIFAN1, ANA CLARA APROTOSOAIE1*, MIHAI BREBU2, OANA CIOANCĂ1, ELVIRA GILLE3, MONICA HĂNCIANU1, ANCA MIRON1

1.Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa” Iasi, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115, Iasi, Romania
2.Physical Chemistry of Polymers Laboratory, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 70048, Iasi, Romania
3.National Institute of R&D for Biological Sciences/“Stejarul” Biological Research Centre, 6 Alexandru cel Bun Street, 610004, Piatra Neamț, Romania

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The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Satureja montana essential oil of Romanian origin (S. montana EO). The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation from dried aerial parts of cultivated plants in northeastern Romania. The chemical composition of S. montana EO was analysed by GC and GC-MS. The main compounds were carvacrol (63.40%), para-cymene (10.97%) and γ-terpinene (3.70%). S. montana EO showed a high reducing capacity (IC50 = 64.35 μg/mL), and was more effective as DPPH free radical scavenger (IC50 = 243.80 ± 4.93 μg/mL) than ABTS. + inhibitor (IC50 = 560.86 ± 23.15 μg/mL). S. montana essential oil of Romanian origin belongs to the carvacrol chemotype and represents a suitable agent for potential applicability in the protection of biological matrices from the free radical-mediated oxidative stress, including ionizing radiation-induced oxidative damage.