Chemical composition and fungicidal effects of four chemotypes of Thymus satureioides Cosson essential oils originated from South-west of Morocco

Results of chemical composition analysis by cg-ms of essential oils of thymus satureioides cosson extracted by hydrodistillation from leaves samples collected in four locations of taroudante region (southwest morocco), identified fifty components representing over than 98%. the major constituent was borneol with proportions ranging between 33.03 and 41.80%. essential oils yields varied from 1.35 to 2.32% and were positively correlated with an altitude gradient. four chemotypes were then distinguished according to the collection site. the antifungal activity of essential oil of this thyme against four wood-decaying fungi, assessed by direct contact on agar medium, showed that 1/500 concentration (v/v) of all eos was sufficient to inhibit the growth of all tested fungal strains. these results suggest that this oil can be used as wood preservative against wood-destroying fungi.