Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oil from Romanian Satureja Montana L

The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Satureja montana essential oil of Romanian origin (S. montana EO). The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation from dried aerial parts of cultivated plants in northeastern Romania. The chemical composition of S. montana EO was analysed by GC and GC-MS. The main compounds were carvacrol (63.40%), para-cymene (10.97%) and γ-terpinene (3.70%). S. montana EO showed a high reducing capacity (IC50 = 64.35 μg/mL), and was more effective as DPPH free radical scavenger (IC50 = 243.80 ± 4.93 μg/mL) than ABTS + inhibitor (IC50 = 560.86 ± 23.15 μg/mL). S. montana essential oil of Romanian origin belongs to the carvacrol chemotype and represents a suitable agent for potential applicability in the protection of biological matrices from the free radical-mediated oxidative stress, including ionizing radiation-induced oxidative damage.