Essential Oil Content, Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Activity and Antiviral Potential against Covid-19 of Four Aromatic and Medicinal Plants from south of Morocco

Abstract

Lavender (Lavandula dentata (L. d.), Lavandula stoechas (L. s.)), mint (Mentha viridis (M. v.)) and Cistus villosus (C. v.) are plants widely used in traditional medicine due to their sedative, carminative, antibacterial and antioxidant properties. They are present in the south of Morocco in the wild except for mint, which is a cultivated plant. The essential oil content of the dried samples varied in a small range between 1.25 % ml/g to 2.6 % ml/g for lavenders and cistus, but for mint, it shows 5% ml/g. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry determines essential oils chemical composition. The results shown that the essential oil of the leaves of L. d. and L. s. are as a source of camphor. The C. v. essential oil consists of different compounds, mainly alloaromadendrene, β-selinene, α-copaene, (-) - α-bourbonene, g-muurolene and α-muurolene. While M. v. is revealed to be a D-carvone mint. Aromatic plants essential oils show high antioxidant activity: values of IC₅₀DPPH between 0.72 mg / ml and 1.1 mg / ml.

Results suggest that essential oils have biological activities, namely antioxidant and antiviral activities of at least the predominant compounds. Hence we are proposing the plants for scientific research as a natural antioxidant and a potential substances for beating COVID-19 virulence and transmission spread.