Essential Oil of Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit: A comprehensive study of its chemical and biological properties for therapeutic and industrial applications

The essential oil from the leaves of Hyptis suaveolens was extracted through steam distillation, yielding an average of 0.08% with a density of 0.8. The chemical composition was determined using Gas Chromatography (GC) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), identifying 24 compounds, predominantly sesquiterpenes. Antimicrobial activity tests were conducted using the microdilution method to evaluate the efficacy of the oil against 14 bacterial strains. The essential oil was mainly composed of β-Caryophyllene (33.9%), Germacrene D (25.4%), α-Humulene (8.3%), and Germacrene B (8.2%). Antibacterial tests revealed bactericidal activity against most of the tested strains, with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.3 to 12.2 mg/mL and slightly higher Minimum Bactericidal Concentrations (MBC). The essential oil of Hyptis suaveolens shows significant antibacterial activity, making it a potential preservative agent for the food industry. Further studies on its antifungal, anticancer activities, and other physical parameters such as refractive index are suggested to explore its full potential.