Volume 30, Issue 2 (June 2026)                   Physiol Pharmacol 2026, 30(2): 242-254 | Back to browse issues page


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Moradi S, Nouri M. Chemical composition, phenolic content, antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities of Teucrium polium l. essential oil. Physiol Pharmacol 2026; 30 (2) :242-254
URL: http://ppj.phypha.ir/article-1-2536-en.html
Abstract:   (1649 Views)
Introduction: Medicinal plants perform a prominent function in improving sustainable healthcare systems and benefits because of enriching bioactive components in the pharmacology industry. The present research aims to explore potential medicinal attributes of Teucrium polium L. essential oil (TEO), focusing on antioxidant, anticancer and antimicrobial attributes.
Methods: TEO was extracted by hydrodistillation and constituents were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents were quantified using Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride methods. Antioxidant potential was assessed through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and ferric ions reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Anticancer activity was evaluated on Caco-2 cells using the dimethylthiazol-diphenyltetrazolium bromide colorimetric technique. Antimicrobial properties were determined by disk diffusion and well diffusion methods, minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentration, and also scanning electron microscopy to examine bacterial cell morphology.
Results: In addition, TPC and TFC were reported as 198.1 ± 4.19 mg gallic acid equivalent /g dry weight (DW) and also 56.23 ± 9 mg rutin (RE)/g DW, respectively. The promising antioxidant function of TEO was proved using achieved IC50 from DPPH (94.35 ± 3.2 μg/mL), ABST (83.3 ± 5.1 μg/mL) and FRAP (2.8 ± 0.02 μg ascorbic acid equivalent /g). Additionally, an acceptable cytotoxicity was detected by TEO according to the obtained results. The lowest (1.8 mm) and highest (13.8 mm) inhibition zones for TEO were observed against Escherichia coli (E. coli) at a concentration of 20 mg/mL and Staphylococcus aureus at 80 mg/L level in disk diffusion agar, respectively. The structure of E. coli was depicted using a scanning electron microscopy evaluation after treating by TEO, which indicated several effects on the membrane and denaturalization for bacterial cell.
Conclusion: Overall, the significant antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer functions of TEO not only confirm multifunctional bioactivity but also highlight a critical therapeutic opportunity. Unlike prior studies that evaluated isolated activities, this research demonstrates the integrated pharmacological potential for TEO, positioning it as a promising candidate for the development of novel herbal medicines and complementary therapeutic agents.
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