Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of <i>Anacyclus maroccanus</i> Ball. and <i>Anacyclus radiatus</i> Loisel. Essential Oils Against Multidrug Resistant Microbial Pathogens

Objective: The present study aimed to characterize the phytochemical composition, the antioxidant and antimicrobial potencies of two essential oils obtained from the Moroccan ecotypes A. maroccanus and A. radiatus. Methods: The chemical composition of EOs was analysed by means of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy analysis (GC-MS); moreover, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power assays ware made to evaluate the antioxidant activity. In addition, disk diffusion method, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were employed to evaluate the antimicrobial activities against some resistant and pathogenic microorganism strains. Results: Results showed that the Anacyclus maroccanus and Anacyclus radiatus EOs were characterized by high amounts of oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, along with radical scavenging and reducing properties. Furthermore, EOs exhibited marked antimicrobial effects against all the tested bacterial and fungal strains. Conclusion: The current findings suggest that EOs from Anacyclus maroccanus and Anacyclus radiatus Moroccan ecotypes are a promising source of natural antioxidants that could be used in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly against drug-resistant microbial strains.