Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Marrubium deserti de Noé essential oil

The main objectives of this study were to determine the chemical composition of the essential oil of Marrubium deserti de Noé (EOMD) from Bechar (Algeria), and to evaluate its physicochemical properties, antibacterial and antifungal activities. The yield of EOMD was 0.29±0.008%, with the main components being α-phellandrene (25.05%), β-pinene (14.05%), and α-pinene (12.83%). Both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria were significantly inhibited by EOMD with inhibition zones ranging from 7.00±0.00 mm to 22±1.33 mm, and with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentration values ranging from 0.0022 to 0.014 v/v; likewise, intriguing antifungal activity against pathogen fungi was noticed with MICs and minimum fungicidal concentration values ranging from 0.00125 to 0.006 v/v. Furthermore, the studied essential oil demonstrated a total suppression of the sporulation and germination of spores at concentrations as from 0.002 v/v. These results emphasize the bactericidal and fungicidal characteristics of EOMD and their prospective usage as a substitute for synthetic bactericides and fungicides.