Characterization and Antimicrobial Properties of Essential Oils from Four Wild Taxa of Lamiaceae Family Growing in Apulia

Four taxa of the Lamiaceae family growing in Apulia (Clinopodium suaveolens, Satureja montanasubsp. montana, Thymbra capitata, and Salvia fruticosa subsp. thomasii) that had not been previouslystudied for their potential use in the food sector, were analyzed for their essential oils (EOs) compositionand antioxidant and antimicrobial properties against some microorganisms, isolated from breadand bakery products, including molds (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium roqueforti) and spore-forming bacteria(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis). Two different sites were considered for each plantspecies, and the strongest antimicrobial EOs, which were active against all of the microorganismstested, were those from one S. montana subsp. montana sample (Sm2) and both T. capitata EOs (Tc1and Tc2) with Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values ranging between 0.093% and 0.375%(v/v) against molds, while higher values were registered for bacteria (0.75-1%). In particular, thebiological activity of EOs from T. capitata and S. montana subsp. montana was maybe due to the highamount of thymol and carvacrol, which were also responsible for the highest antioxidant activity.S. fruticosa subsp. thomasii EOs had different chemical profiles but showed only a slight antibacterialeffect and no antifungal activity. C. suaveolens showed no significant changes between EOs withan interesting antifungal activity (MIC 0.093%0.187% v/v), which may be due to the presence ofpulegone. These plant species can be considered as promising sources of bioactive compounds to beexploited as biopreservatives in bread and bakery products mainly considering the low concentrationneeded to inhibit microorganism's growth.