Chemical diversity and biological activity of commercial essential oils from Serbia and Albania: immortelle, bay laurel, lavender, sage, and winter savory

Essential oils from immortelle, bay laurel, lavender, sage, and winter savory, originating from commercially managed plantations in Serbia and Albania, were comparatively analyzed to evaluate chemical composition and biological activity in relation to geographical origin. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and chemometric methods were applied, alongside antioxidant and antimicrobial assays. The essential oils exhibited clear species-specific chemical profiles, with 1,8-cineole dominant in bay laurel, carvacrol in winter savory, linalool in lavender, and α-thujone in sage. Only minor quantitative differences were observed between samples from Serbia and Albania for most species, while immortelle showed greater variability in sesquiterpene composition. Principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed clustering according to species rather than geographical origin. Bioactivity assays indicated species-dependent antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, with winter savory showing the strongest overall activity. The results suggest that essential oil composition and bioactivity are primarily governed by species-specific factors, while geographical origin has a limited influence.