{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,15]],"date-time":"2026-03-15T05:28:30Z","timestamp":1773552510820,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":97,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"21","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,25]],"date-time":"2025-10-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761350400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"State Research Agency","award":["PID2024-156361OB-C22"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PID2024-156361OB-C22"]}]},{"name":"Unidad Asociada UGR-CSIC BIOPLAG"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic has reignited interest in traditional medicinal plants as potential therapeutic agents. This study examined the chemical composition, cytotoxicity, and antimicrobial activity of essential oils from six Moroccan medicinal plants, namely, Eucalyptus globulus, Artemisia absinthium, Syzygium aromaticum, Thymus vulgaris, Artemisia alba, and Santolina chamaecyparissus, which are commonly used by the Moroccan population for COVID-19 prevention. The chemical composition of each essential oil was determined using gas chromatography\u2013mass spectrometry (GC\u2013MS) to identify key compounds. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in the Vero E6 cell line, which is frequently used in SARS-CoV-2 research, using the neutral red assay, with oil concentrations ranging from 25 to 100 \u00b5g\/mL. Antimicrobial activity was tested against standard reference strains, including Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Candida albicans (ATCC 10231), and Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), using the disc diffusion method. GC\u2013MS analysis revealed significant components such as spathulenol (15%) and caryophyllene oxide (7.67%) in Eucalyptus globulus and eugenol (54.96%) in Syzygium aromaticum. Cytotoxicity assays indicated that higher concentrations of essential oils significantly reduced cell viability, with Thymus vulgaris showing the highest IC50 (8.324 \u00b5M) and Artemisia absinthium the lowest (18.49 \u00b5M). In terms of antimicrobial activity, Eucalyptus globulus had the strongest effect, with a 20 \u00b1 0.00 mm inhibition zone against Bacillus subtilis, whereas both Syzygium aromaticum and Artemisia herba-alba had a 12.25 \u00b1 0.1 mm inhibition zone against the same strain. These findings suggest that these essential oils have significant therapeutic potential, particularly in combating antimicrobial resistance and exerting cytotoxic effects on viral cell lines. Further research is necessary to explore their mechanisms of action and ensure their safety for therapeutic use.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules30214179","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,29]],"date-time":"2025-10-29T02:23:28Z","timestamp":1761704608000},"page":"4179","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["GC\/MS Analysis, Cytotoxicity, and Antimicrobial Properties of Six Moroccan Essential Oils Traditionally Used for COVID-19 Prevention"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"30","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3765-1256","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Houda","family":"Zaher","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Agro Alimentary and Health, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Hassan First University of Settat, B.P. 539, Settat 26000, Morocco"},{"name":"Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4806-6693","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9 Francisco","family":"Qu\u00edlez del Moral","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6490-4082","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sanae","family":"Lemrabet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Virology Department, National Institute of Hygiene, Ministry of Health, B.P. 769, Rabat 10020, Morocco"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5124-664X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Azucena","family":"Gonz\u00e1lez-Coloma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), 28006 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bouchaib","family":"Bencharki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Agro Alimentary and Health, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Hassan First University of Settat, B.P. 539, Settat 26000, Morocco"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"446","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fct.2007.09.106","article-title":"Biological effects of essential oils","volume":"46","author":"Bakkali","year":"2008","journal-title":"Food Chem. 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