First report on the chemical profile and antioxidant activity of Moroccan Crithmum maritimum essential oils
4 affiliations
- 1Laboratory of Water, Studies and Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Sciences, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University
- 2Biotechnologies and Biomolecular Engineering Research Team, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University
- 3Higher Education and Industrial Cooperation Centre, University of Miskolc
- 4Institute of Chemistry, University of Miskolc
Abstract
Sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.) is a wild halophyte valued for its culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic applications owing to its rich nutritional profile and distinctive sensory properties. This study provides the first investigation of essential oils (EOs) extracted from different parts of Moroccan C. maritimum (leaves, inflorescences, and stems) using hydrodistillation, with the aim of evaluating their phytochemical composition and bioactive potential. The oils were characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), while total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP assays) were assessed spectrophotometrically. The highest EO yield was obtained from inflorescences (0.59%), followed by leaves (0.44%) and stems (0.28%). GC–MS analysis identified more than 30 compounds, with dillapiole (16.41–32.47%), γ-terpinene (18.31–32.34%), and thymol methyl ether (19.76–22.33%) as the major constituents. Stems and leaves exhibited the highest phenolic contents (17.97 ± 1.07 and 17.64 ± 0.75 mg GAE/g EO, respectively), while inflorescences contained significantly lower amounts (15.17 ± 0.09 mg GAE/g EO). Antioxidant evaluation showed that leaf oil possessed the highest radical-scavenging capacity (DPPH), whereas stem oil demonstrated the greatest reducing power (FRAP). Molecular docking calculations were conducted to model the interaction between the six major constituents of C. maritimum EOs (dillapiole, γ-terpinene, thymol methyl ether, p-cymene, β-terpinene, and terpinen-4-ol), to evaluate their potential antioxidant activity. Among the identified C. maritimum EOs compounds, thymol methyl ether exhibited the most favorable binding profile with both target proteins NAD(P)H oxidase (PDB ID: 2CDU) and nitric oxide synthase (PDB ID: 6NGI), highlighting its potential as a broad-spectrum antioxidant. Overall, despite organ-dependent variations in yield and composition, all Moroccan C. maritimum EOs were rich in bioactive compounds with recognized biological properties. These findings highlight their potential for sustainable applications in nutraceutical, cosmetic, and food industries, supporting future valorisation of this halophyte through eco-friendly processing technologies.
Related
- Phytochemical study, solvent extraction efficiency, and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Moroccan Teucrium polium L. ssp. thymoïdes: a combined experimental and DFT study
- Comparative study of the chemical composition of essential oils isolated from Juniperus excelsa and Juniperus communis from Macedonian flora
- Kinetical approach of release and antioxidant performances of ι-carrageenan-based films modified by sodium alginate and Ca2+ and incorporating sea fennel essential oil and its major components
- Repellency and chemical composition of essential oils from four medicinal plants against Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae) under laboratory conditions
- Analysis of the Chemical Profile of the Essential Oil from Leaves and Cones of Four Varieties of Humulus lupulus Cultivated in a Subtropical Climate Under Edaphoclimatic Conditions
BibTeX
@article{bouchfara2026first,
title = {{First report on the chemical profile and antioxidant activity of Moroccan Crithmum maritimum essential oils}},
author = {Amin Bouchfara and Mohamed El Bakkali and Hamass Zerrad and Rehana Bano and Béla Fiser and Mounir Nechar and Badredine Souhail},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-63035-8},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-63035-8},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - First report on the chemical profile and antioxidant activity of Moroccan Crithmum maritimum essential oils
AU - Amin Bouchfara
AU - Mohamed El Bakkali
AU - Hamass Zerrad
AU - Rehana Bano
AU - Béla Fiser
AU - Mounir Nechar
AU - Badredine Souhail
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-63035-8
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-63035-8
AB - Sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.) is a wild halophyte valued for its culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic applications owing to its rich nutritional profile and distinctive sensory properties. This study provides the first investigation of essential oils (EOs) extracted from different parts of Moroccan C. maritimum (leaves, inflorescences, and stems) using hydrodistillation, with the aim of evaluating their phytochemical composition and bioactive potential. The oils were characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), while total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP assays) were assessed spectrophotometrically. The highest EO yield was obtained from inflorescences (0.59%), followed by leaves (0.44%) and stems (0.28%). GC–MS analysis identified more than 30 compounds, with dillapiole (16.41–32.47%), γ-terpinene (18.31–32.34%), and thymol methyl ether (19.76–22.33%) as the major constituents. Stems and leaves exhibited the highest phenolic contents (17.97 ± 1.07 and 17.64 ± 0.75 mg GAE/g EO, respectively), while inflorescences contained significantly lower amounts (15.17 ± 0.09 mg GAE/g EO). Antioxidant evaluation showed that leaf oil possessed the highest radical-scavenging capacity (DPPH), whereas stem oil demonstrated the greatest reducing power (FRAP). Molecular docking calculations were conducted to model the interaction between the six major constituents of C. maritimum EOs (dillapiole, γ-terpinene, thymol methyl ether, p-cymene, β-terpinene, and terpinen-4-ol), to evaluate their potential antioxidant activity. Among the identified C. maritimum EOs compounds, thymol methyl ether exhibited the most favorable binding profile with both target proteins NAD(P)H oxidase (PDB ID: 2CDU) and nitric oxide synthase (PDB ID: 6NGI), highlighting its potential as a broad-spectrum antioxidant. Overall, despite organ-dependent variations in yield and composition, all Moroccan C. maritimum EOs were rich in bioactive compounds with recognized biological properties. These findings highlight their potential for sustainable applications in nutraceutical, cosmetic, and food industries, supporting future valorisation of this halophyte through eco-friendly processing technologies.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -