A New Lavender ( Lavandula multifida L.) Ecotype from Arid Tunisia, with Differential Essential Oil Composition and Higher Antimicrobial Potential

• Published in: Life (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2022-12, Vol.13 (1), p.103
• Main Authors: Tofah, Mohanad Lateef, Mseddi, Khalil, Al-Abbasi, Omar K, Ben Yazid, Ahmed, Khechine, Ahmed, Gdoura, Radhouane, Khannous, Lamia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Anti-infective agents; antibacterial activity; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial activity; Arid regions; Arid zones; Camphor; Chemical composition; Cineole; E coli; Endangered & extinct species; Endangered species; Environmental aspects; Environmental conditions; Escherichia coli; Essences and essential oils; essential oil; Essential oils; Flowers & plants; Gas chromatography; Genetic aspects; Genetic diversity; habitat; Habitats; Health aspects; Herbal medicine; Intraspecific genetic variation; Lavandula multifida; Lavenders; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Medicinal plants; Medicine; Medicine, Botanic; Medicine, Herbal; Metabolites; morphological traits; Morphology; Oils & fats; Physiological aspects; Plant extracts; Plant metabolites; Plant tissues; River networks; Secondary metabolites; Soil erosion; Staphylococcus aureus; Testing; Thymus gland; Topography; Watersheds; Wildlife conservation; α-Pinene
• ISSN: 2075-1729; 2075-1729
• DOI: 10.3390/life13010103

The lavender L., a medicinal plant grown in arid regions of Tunisia, was recently considered an endangered species; thus, its habitats regressed to some difficult zones in terms of access, such as the watershed of Oued Agareb in central-eastern Tunisia. This species was recorded only in deep and narrow shady Wadi of the watershed and benefited from protection against overgrazing, erosion and sunlight. was rarely observed in an open area, such as a plateau or large-bed valley. The plant's metabolism is linked to its response to environmental conditions, which is of particular interest to understanding the components of the considered population of . Consequently, biochemical and antimicrobial analyses have been evaluated. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis reveals that among the 58 compounds identified in essential oil extracted from aboveground plant tissues, camphor was the major component (15.68%), followed by 1,8-cineole (14.14%) and alpha-pinene (13.82%). Moreover, it has been observed that was more susceptible than to the antimicrobial properties of essential oil, while in the case of camphor, was more susceptible than . The protected population of exhibits a distinctive vegetative development and growth cycle, resulting in specific secondary metabolites and distinguished antimicrobial activity.