Lemon Catnip Hydrolate as a Dual-Function Bioresource: In Vitro Assessment of Phytotoxicity and Preservative Activity
Milica Aćimović1, Milena Popov2, Nataša Mandić2, Ana Tomić3, Biljana Lončar4, Lato Pezo5, Mirjana Cvetković6, Jovana Stanković Jeremić6, Olja Šovljanski3,*
1 Department of Vegetable and Alternative Crops, Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops Novi Sad (IFVCNS)—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Maksima Gorkog 30, Novi Sad, Serbia
2 Department of Plant and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, Novi Sad, Serbia
3 Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar cara Lazara 1, Novi Sad, Serbia
4 Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar cara Lazara 1, Novi Sad, Serbia
5 Institute of General and Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski Trg 12-16, Belgrade, Serbia
6 Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy (IHTM)—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Njegoševa 12, Belgrade, Serbia
* Corresponding Author: Olja Šovljanski. Email: 
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant-Derived Antimicrobials: Phytochemical Defense, Plant Metabolism, and Ecological Roles)
Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.079695
Received 26 January 2026; Accepted 29 May 2026; Published online 18 June 2026
Abstract
(1) Background: Plant hydrolates are widely generated as by-products of essential oil distillation, yet their potential biological properties remain insufficiently explored. This study evaluated whether that lemon catnip (
Nepeta cataria var.
citriodora) hydrolate exhibits allelopathic and antimicrobial effects in preliminary
in vitro assays, contributing to the valorization of distillation residues within circular bioeconomy approaches. (2) Methods: Phytotoxic effects on germination and early seedling growth of crops (maize, soybean, and white clover) and weeds (common lambsquarters, amaranth, and wild carrot) were evaluated under
in vitro conditions using hydrolate solutions (10%, 20%, 50%, and 100%). Germination kinetics were modelled using first-order, Elovich, double-constant, and Langmuir equations. Antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and antiadhesion activities were assessed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts using agar diffusion and crystal violet screening assays. (3) Results: The hydrolate induced concentration-dependent inhibition of seed germination, with weed species showing greater sensitivity than crops. Complete suppression of weed germination occurred at ≥50% concentration, whereas maize retained partial tolerance. Germination performance indices declined significantly with increasing concentration. In antimicrobial screening assays, the hydrolate showed greater antimicrobial activity and reduced Gram-positive bacteria, reducing
Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation by 70% and adhesion by 75%. (4) Conclusions: Lemon catnip hydrolate demonstrated screening-level allelopathic, antimicrobial and biofilm-associated inhibitory effects under
in vitro conditions. These findings highlight the potential of hydrolates derived from essential oil distillation as bioactive by-products and support further investigation using quantitative antimicrobial testing and applied models to assess their practical relevance.
Keywords
Biofilm inhibition; circular economy;
Nepeta cataria var.
citriodora; natural preservatives; seed germination kinetics
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