Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Activities, and Molecular Docking Analysis of Essential Oils and Hydrolates From Two Varieties of <i>Salvia rosmarinus</i> ( <i>laxiflorus</i> and <i>troglodytorum</i> ) Growing in Southern Tunisia

This study investigated the chemical composition and antioxidant activities of the essential oils and hydrolates from two varieties of spontaneous rosemary: Salvia rosmarinus var. laxiflorus and S. rosmarinus var. troglodytorum, which are endemic to southern Tunisia. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were quantified, the chemical composition of the essential oils was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), antioxidant activity was determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, and molecular docking along with endocrine-disrupting potential analyses was also performed. The hydrolate of laxiflorus variety had the highest phenolic and flavonoid content. The major compounds identified in essential oils extracted from laxiflorus variety were 1,8-cineole, eugenol, α-pinene, camphor, and α-terpineol, whereas those of troglodytorum variety include 1,8-cineole, camphor, α-pinene, α-terpineol, and borneol. Notably, eugenol was present at a high percentage in the laxiflorus variety, but it was absent in the troglodytorum variety. The essential oils and hydrolates of S. rosmarinus var. laxiflorus exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. Additionally, molecular docking revealed that eugenol had the strongest interaction with the 3QFT protein, whereas 1,8-cineole, camphor, and eugenol showed low endocrine-disrupting potential. Finally, the study demonstrates that rosemary is a natural source of antioxidant compounds and highlights the potential of its essential oils and hydrolates for applications in the pharmaceutical and food industries.