Variation in antibacterial activity of different ecotypes of Satureja khuzestanica Jamzad, as an Iranian endemic plant

Satureja khuzestanica Jamzad is an endemic plant that widely distributed in South-west Iran. In the folk medicine, S. khuzestanica has been used as analgesic and antiseptic among the inhabitants of southern parts of Iran. The study determined variations of carvacrol content and antibacterial activity of essential oil (EO) from different ecotypes of S. khuzestanica. The aerial part of wild populations of S. khuzestanica at full flowering was collected from different natural habitats in South-west Iran. The EO of an ecotype was characterized using GC MS. Carvacrol contents in the EOs, the main component in the EO of S. khuzestanica (90.8%), were determined by using HPLC. The results showed the carvacrol contents in different ecotypes ranged 42.5 - 94.8 mg/ml EO. The highest content of carvacrol in all investigated samples was obtained from Mangreh-II ecotype. The antibacterial activity of the EOs was tested against four pathogens. The inhibition zones and MIC values for bacterial strains, which were sensitive to the E0s of S. khuzestanica, were in the range of 12-32 mm and 0.019-0.312 mg/ml, respectively. The EO of Mangreh-II ecotype showed the strongest antibacterial activity. This ecotype had the highest amount of carvacrol in comparison with other ecotypes. The results may be Used in ecotype selection program for cultivation and production of carvacrol with suppressing effect on pathogens in same growing conditions.