Composition and antimicrobial properties of Satureja cuneifolia Ten. and Thymbra sintenisii Bornm. et Aznav. subsp isaurica PH. Davis essential oils

The constituents and the antimicrobial activity of essential oils extracted by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts of Satureja cuneifolia Ten. and Thymbra sintenisii Bornm. et Aznav. subsp. isaurica P.H. Davis. from Turkey were examined. On the whole, a total of thirty-three compounds, which accounted for about 97% of the GC profiles, were identified. The oil of S. cuneifolia contained, as main compounds, carvacrol, (45.39%), p-cymene (16.28%), gamma-terpinene (12.59%), thymol (8.34%) and cis-ocimene (2.33%). The major components of the T sintenisii oil were identified as p-cymene (37.44%), carvacrol (32.22%), borneol (5.98%) and gamma-terpinene (5.40%). The antimicrobial activity of both the oils was essayed against various bacteria (Gram+ and Gram-) and yeasts, having an important role in the agriculture, food and pharmaceutical fields. The results showed that the essential oils possessed different antimicrobial activity. Some species were not affected from any of the concentrations tested. The most susceptible microorganisms were yeasts and, among bacteria, Clostridium tyrobutyricum, Bacillus licheniformis and Bifidobactenum dentium. The tested oils exhibited weak activity against most species of the genera Bacillus, Brevibacillus and Lactobacillus.