antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of satureja hortensis and satureja macrantha

The genus satureja, belonging to the lamiaceae family, comprises approximately 200 species of aromatic herbs and shrubs. they are commonly found in the middle east, mediterranean region, europe, western asia, north africa, canary islands, and south america. more than 30 species of this genus are distributed in the eastern regions of the mediterranean (1). in iran, it is known as marze and in türkiye, t it is called kayakekiği. due to their sweetness and simple cultivation characteristics, they are used as flavoring agents in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. traditionally, satureja species have been used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, such as cramps, nausea, indigestion, and diarrhea, as well as to relieve muscle pain, and as tonic and carminative agents (1). several studies have been conducted on the growth-promoting potential of satureja species in animals, which have been proven to contain phenolic compounds, such as thymol and carvacrol. these compounds possess a broad spectrum of anti-microbial activity, making them a potential alternative to antibiotics used as anti-microbial growth promoters (2). in our research, the compositions, and anti-microbial and anti-oxidant effects of methanol and aqueous extracts, as well as essential oils obtained from satureja hortensis collected from the flora of erzurum, türkiye, and satureja macrantha collected from the flora of urmia, iran, were comparatively studied.