Minerals, Essential Oils, and Biological Properties of <i>Melissa officinalis</i> L.
Fahima Abdellatif,
Muhammad Akram,
Samir Begaa,
Mohammed Messaoudi,
Adel Benarfa,
Chukwuebuka Egbuna,
Hamza Ouakouak,
Aicha Hassani,
Barbara Sawicka,
Walaa Fikry Mohammed Elbossaty,
Jesus Simal-Gandara
Affiliations
Fahima Abdellatif
Research Laboratory on Bioactive Products and Biomass Valorization, Higher Normal School, Kouba P.O. Box 92, Algiers 16308, Algeria
Muhammad Akram
Department of Eastern Medicine, Directorate of Medical Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Samir Begaa
Nuclear Research Centre of Birine, Ain Oussera P.O. Box 180, Djelfa 17200, Algeria
Mohammed Messaoudi
Nuclear Research Centre of Birine, Ain Oussera P.O. Box 180, Djelfa 17200, Algeria
Adel Benarfa
Technical Platform of Physico-Chemical Analysis (PTAPC-Laghouat-CRAPC), University of Amar Telidji, Road of El kheneg, Laghouat 03000, Algeria
Chukwuebuka Egbuna
Nutritional Biochemistry and Toxicology Unit, World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence, Centre for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), Department of Biochemistry, University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State 500001, Nigeria
Hamza Ouakouak
Chemistry Department, University of Hamma Lakhdar, B.P.789, El-Oued 39000, Algeria
Aicha Hassani
Research Laboratory on Bioactive Products and Biomass Valorization, Higher Normal School, Kouba P.O. Box 92, Algiers 16308, Algeria
Barbara Sawicka
Department of Plant Production Technology and Commodities Science, University of Life Science in Lublin, Akademicka 15 Str., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Walaa Fikry Mohammed Elbossaty
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Damietta 34517, Egypt
Jesus Simal-Gandara
Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Vigo—Ourense Campus, 32004 Ourense, Spain
This study describes the minerals elements, chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Algerian Melissa officinalis plant. The essential oil (EO) was extracted by hydrodistillation (HD) using a Clevenger-type apparatus of dry leaves of M. officinalis and was analyzed by two techniques, gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Eighteen minerals comprising both macro- and microelements (As, Br, K, La, Na, Sb, Sm, Ba, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Rb, Sc, Th, and Zn) were determined using neutron activation analysis technique for the first time from Algerian Melissa officinalis plant. Seventy-eight compounds were identified in the essential oil, representing 94.090% of the total oil and the yields were 0.470%. The major component was geranial (45.060%). Other predominant components were neral (31.720%) and citronellal (6.420%). The essential oil presented high antimicrobial activity against microorganisms, mainly five human pathogenic bacteria, one yeast, Candida albicans, and two phytopathogenic fungi. The results can be used as a source of information for the pharmaceutical industry and medical research.
