The aerial parts of Satureja metastasiantha were hydrodistilled for 3 h using a Clevenger-type apparatus. The essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography/flame ionization detector and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, simultaneously, the main compounds of which were characterized as p-cymene (22.3%), thymol (21.0%), carvacrol (18.4%), and γ-terpinene (12.1%). Antioxidant capacity, acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition effects, and antimicrobial and antifungal properties of the species were evaluated. The anticholinesterase activity of the essential oil of S. metastasiantha was observed with 30% inhibition at 200 μg/mL. The essential oil of the species showed activity against Staphylococcus aureus with 128 μg/mL minimum inhibitory concentration value.
Keywords: AChE; Satureja metastasiantha; antimicrobial; antioxidant; carvacrol; essential oil.