Unveiling the potential of Satureja calamintha nepeta: A study on its phytochemical composition and antibacterial activity

Satureja calamintha nepeta is a plant native to northwestern Morocco. The purpose of this investigation is to identify the chemical composition and evaluate the antibacterial of the essential oil extracted from this plant. Firstly, a quality inspection of the plant was carried out to quantify its level of metals, especially the heavier ones, using the ICP technique. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to characterize the chemical composition of essential oil. The chromatogram analysis shows the presence of 27 compounds, that is, 99.2% of the essential oil, with 1,8‐cineole (34.34%) and cis‐pinocamphone (11.87%) being the most significant. The antibacterial effectiveness of the essential oil was tested using the disc diffusion method against 6 gram‐positive and gram‐negative pathogens. The essential oil shows strong activity against Escherichia coli and Escherichia vekanda strains, with an MIC value of about 2.80 µg/mL. The authors were benefited from the modeling technique to better understand the antibacterial activity.