Essential oil composition and antimicrobial activity of wild and cultivated mint timija (Mentha suaveolens subsp. timija (Briq.) Harley), an endemic and threatened medicinal species in Morocco

The hydro-distilled essential oils obtained from aerial parts of the wild (w) and cultivated (c) mint timija (Mentha suaveolens subsp. timija), an endemic medicinal species of Morocco, have been analyzed by GC–MS and screened for antimicrobial activity. In total, 35 compounds representing more than 98% of the oils were identified. Menthone (39.4(w)–10.8(c)%), pulegone (62.3(c)–34.3(w)%) and isomenthone (9.3(c)–7.8(w)%) were found as the main components for the two oils. The volatiles of the wild and cultivated material differed significantly in both the percentage of the main components and antimicrobial effect. Pulegone was more dominant in cultivated mint timija (62.3%) than in wild one (34.3%), while menthone was more abundant in the wild material (39.4%). In the antimicrobial assays, both oils displayed good to excellent activity against all microorganisms tested with the oil of the cultivated form being more active.