ABSTRACT
354This article provides an insight into the phytochemistry of the essential oil of Thymus saturejoides Coss. (thyme) and its potential for natural product development in Megz, a village of the Agoundis valley, in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco. The aromatic plant is widely harvested by the local population as an important source of income and used in traditional Berber medicine. To assess the commercial viability of the plant, the essential oil was distilled, analyzed, and compared with thyme oil distillates from Asni Moulay Brahim situated at 55 km, and a recent study of thyme samples collected in the lower part of the Agoundis valley. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the thyme oil from Megz revealed borneol (32.89%), carvacrol (18.05%), and thymol (0.46%) as the active constituents. These have already been reported for their antimicrobial, antiseptic, antioxidant, and other pharmaceutical properties. We suggest that the added value of the essential oil of thyme from Megz may therefore be destined for the aromatherapy market, and for more specific indications in the pharmaceutical and sanitary industries.
