Open Access

ARTICLE

GC-MS Profiling, In Vitro and In Silico Antibacterial and Antioxidant Potential of Origanum elongatum Essential Oil: Novel Source against Phytopathogenic Bacteria

Amine Batbat^1,2, Mohamed El Fadili³, Naoufal El Hachlafi^4,*, Amine Elbouzidi^5,*, Chaymae Hmimen⁶, Hiba Yahyaoui^2,7, Samir Jeddi⁶, Abdellatif Benbouazza², Kawtar Fikri-Benbrahim⁶, Mohamed Addi⁵, Samiah Hamad Al-Mijalli⁸, Khaoula Habbadi², Hassane Greche¹

1 Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Imouzzer Road, Fez, 30000, Morocco
2 Plant Protection Research Unit, National Institute of Agronomic Research, Regional Center of Agronomic Research of Meknes INRA-CRRA, Meknes, 50000, Morocco
3 LIMAS Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, 30000, Morocco
4 Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ibn Zohr University, Guelmim, 81000, Morocco
5 Laboratoire d’Amélioration des Productions Agricoles, Biotechnologie et Environnement (LAPABE), Faculté des Sciences, Université Mohammed Premier, Oujda, 60000, Morocco
6 Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology and Bioactive Molecules, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies Faculty, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Imouzzer Road, Fez, P.O. Box 2202, Morocco
7 Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bio-Resources Valorization, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes, 50000, Morocco
8 Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia

* Corresponding Authors: Naoufal El Hachlafi. Email: ; Amine Elbouzidi. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Biological Activities of Essential Oils)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2025, 94(2), 481-501. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2025.059841

Received 18 October 2024; Accepted 23 January 2025; Issue published 06 March 2025

Abstract

This study highlights the regulatory potential antibacterial and antiradical of Origanum elongatum essential oil (EO), an endemic medicinal plant of Morocco used for its various properties. The chemical composition of the EO was characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antibacterial activity against different agricultural phytopathogens was determined by disc diffusion and microatmosphere methods, as well as by the determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), while the antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH and FRAP assays. To complement the experimental analyses, a molecular docking approach was used to predict and elucidate the mechanisms of action of the identified bioactive compounds, both for their antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The GC-MS analysis revealed a chemical composition dominated by the major compounds: p-cymene-2-ol (25.31%), thymol (23.88%), and γ-terpinene (19.26%). Furthermore, antibacterial analyses performed using different methodological approaches (disc diffusion, microatmosphere, MIC, and MBC) showed significant inhibitory activity against all phytopathogens tested. Moreover, O. elongatum EO exhibited interesting antioxidant ability with an IC₅₀ value of 168.25 ± 1.14 µg/mL for DPPH assay and EC₅₀ value of 164.22 ± 1.04 µg/mL for FRAP assay. Furthermore, in silico molecular docking demonstrated further insights into the interactions between the oil’s active components and bacterial targets, supporting its mode of action. This in-depth characterization highlights the potential of O. elongatum EO as a natural alternative for the biocontrol of plant pathogens. It opens new perspectives for developing natural solutions to protect crops against plant diseases.

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