Chemical composition and biological activity of essential oil of <i>Teucrium scordium</i> L. subsp. <i>scordioides</i> (Schreb.) Arcang. (Lamiaceae) from Sardinia Island (Italy)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to demonstrate the antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-migratory potential of the essential oil of <i>Teucrium scordium</i> subsp. <i>scordioides</i> (Schreb.) Arcang, a plant widely used in traditional medicine in Sardinia. The oil was rich in germacrene D (25.1%), δ-cadinene (12.9%) and alloaromadendrene (11.3%). The yeast <i>Cryptococcus neoformans</i> and the dermatophytes <i>Trichophyton rubrum</i>, <i>T. mentagrophytes</i> var. <i>interdigitale</i> and <i>Epidermophyton floccosum</i> were the most susceptible fungi to the action of the oil. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages, the oil was able to decrease nitric oxide production by ca. 30% at 1.25 μL/mL, without affecting cell viability. In the scratch wound assay, it allowed for ca. 36% of wound closure after 18 h, thus showing anti-migratory properties. Overall, this study highlights the potential of this species to mitigate fungal infections associated with an inflammatory response. Furthermore, we also reported for the first time its anti-migratory capacity, thus suggesting anticancer properties.