Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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ESSENTIAL OIL PROFILING BY GC-MS AND IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIALS EFFECTS OF AN ALGERIAN ENDEMIC PLANT THYMUS PALLESCENS DE NOÉ.

HOUSSAM EDDINE MUSTAPHA SADLI 1, ZOUBIR BELMOKHTAR 1,2, MAHFUZ ELMASTAŞ 3 , DUYGU MISIRLI 3, YASSINE MERAD 4, OZLEM TAVUKCUOGLU 3,YAKUP CANBAY 3,5 , ABDERREZAK DJABEUR 1

1 Laboratory of production and valorization of plants and microorganisms (LP2VM), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of Oran - Mohamed Boudiaf USTO-MB, B.P. 1505, El-Mn’aour, Oran 31000, Algeria
2 Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Djilali Liabes University of Sidi-Bel-Abbes, Sidi Bel Abbes 22000, Algeria
3 Hamidiye Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Health Sciences Türkiye, Istanbul, Turkey.
4 Central Laboratory, Hassani Abdelkader Hospital, Université de Sidi-Bel-Abbès (Djillali Liabès), Algeria
5 Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, İstanbul Yeni Yüzyıl University, İstanbul, Türkiye

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This study aimed to analyse the chemical composition of the essential oil of Thymus pallescens (TPEO) collected from two distinct geographical areas in Algeria (Aïn Témouchent and Sidi Bel Abbès). Antioxidant activity was also evaluated. Using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), analysis revealed the carvacrol chemotype (74.927 - 65.629%) as the major component in both TPEO samples, followed by γ-terpinene (5.210 - 7.493%), p-cymene (5.152 - 7.795%), and linalool (2.985 - 2.902%) as the main compounds. The chemical composition was identified by comparing the obtained mass spectra with those in the NIST and Wiley libraries, along with retention indices. The evaluation of antioxidant capacity employed four assays (DPPH•, ABTS•+, FRAP, and CUPRAC). TPEO in both assays (DPPH• and ABTS•+) demonstrated the highest activity, with IC₅₀ values of 5.42 ± 0.44 - 9.28 ± 0.78 µg/mL for DPPH• and 60 ± 1.70 - 54 ± 3.30 µg/mL for ABTS•+. The present data substantiate the chemical consistency of TPEO composition previously documented in the literature. Furthermore, the observed free radical scavenging capacity underscores the prospective utility of Thymus pallescens as a viable natural antioxidant in food preservation and pharmaceutical formulations.