---
title: "Essential oil chemotypes and bioactivity of Coridothymus capitatus from Hebron and Bethlehem, Pale"
id: "plos-one-9-essential-oil-composition-and-biological-activities-of-coridothymus-capitatus"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/plos-one-9-essential-oil-composition-and-biological-activities-of-coridothymus-capitatus"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "Pharmacology"
source_name: "PLOS ONE (Medicine)"
source_url: "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443"
published_at: "2026-09-02T14:00:00.000Z"
evidence_level: "Journal Feed"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Essential oil chemotypes and bioactivity of Coridothymus capitatus from Hebron and Bethlehem, Pale
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/plos-one-9-essential-oil-composition-and-biological-activities-of-coridothymus-capitatus
- **Specialty:** [Pharmacology](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/pharmacology.md)
- **Primary Source:** PLOS ONE (Medicine)
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443)
- **Published At:** 2026-09-02T14:00:00.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Journal Feed
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- Study isolated essential oils (EOs) from fresh and dried leaves of Coridothymus capitatus collected in Hebron and Bethlehem, Palestine, by hydrodistillation and analyzed them by GC-MS. - **Oxygenated monoterpenes** dominated the EOs (69.03–74.44% of composition). - Major phenolic constituents identified were **thymol** and **carvacrol**, with a clear chemotypic divergence by location: Hebron oils were thymol-rich, Bethlehem oils were carvacrol-rich. - Post-harvest drying and geographic origin influenced EO composition and biological activities. - Antioxidant activity was measured with the DPPH assay across 0.333–33.33 µg/mL; the abstract reports DPPH inhibition at the highest tested concentration as two different ranges in duplicate text (28.21 ± 0.76 to 34.40 ± 0.85% in one instance, and 37.50 ± 0.83% to 52.08 ± 0.36% in another), with Hebron-fresh oil reported as the most active. - Antibacterial activity was substantial against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with MICs reported between 25 and 100 µg/mL. - Antifungal activity was strong against phytopathogenic fungi; notably Botrytis californica and Fusarium species showed inhibition with MICs as low as 6.25 µg/mL. - The findings highlight chemotypic variation among Palestinian C. capitatus populations and potential applications in food preservation, sustainable crop protection, and other uses reliant on natural bioactive compounds. - The paper notes the scarcity of comparative studies on Palestinian populations and emphasizes environmental and post-harvest factors as drivers of EO variability.
## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points
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[](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443) [](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443) * 0 [Save](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/metrics?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#savedHeader) [Total Mendeley and Citeulike bookmarks.](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/metrics?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#savedHeader) * 0 [Citation](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/metrics?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#citedHeader) [Paper's citation count computed by Dimensions.](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/metrics?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#citedHeader) * 68 [View](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/metrics?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#viewedHeader) [PLOS views and downloads.](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/metrics?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#viewedHeader) * 0 [Share](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/metrics?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#discussedHeader) [Sum of Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and Wikipedia activity.](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/metrics?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#discussedHeader) Open Access Peer-reviewed Research Article # Essential oil composition and biological activities of _Coridothymus capitatus_ collected from two locations in Palestine * Odey Bsharat , Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing * E-mail: n.maharik@najah.edu (NAM); obsharat@najah.edu (OB) Affiliation Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine [ ![ORCID logo](https://journals.plos.org/resource/img/orcid_16x16.png) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2375-0790 ](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2375-0790 "ORCID Registry") ⨯ * Michel Hanania, Roles Formal analysis Affiliation Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Technology and Engineering, Bethlehem University, Bethlehem, Palestine [ ![ORCID logo](https://journals.plos.org/resource/img/orcid_16x16.png) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5980-0772 ](https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5980-0772 "ORCID Registry") ⨯ * Raed Alkowni, Roles Data curation, Formal analysis Affiliation Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, An-Najah, National University, Nablus, Palestine ⨯ * Nisreen Al-Hajj, Roles Data curation, Formal analysis Affiliation Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine [ ![ORCID logo](https://journals.plos.org/resource/img/orcid_16x16.png) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3515-0909 ](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3515-0909 "ORCID Registry") ⨯ * Eman Elsaid, Roles Data curation, Formal analysis Affiliation Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, An-Najah, National University, Nablus, Palestine ⨯ * Nawaf Al-Maharik Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing * E-mail: n.maharik@najah.edu (NAM); obsharat@najah.edu (OB) Affiliation Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine ⨯ # Essential oil composition and biological activities of _Coridothymus capitatus_ collected from two locations in Palestine * Odey Bsharat, * Michel Hanania, * Raed Alkowni, * Nisreen Al-Hajj, * Eman Elsaid, * Nawaf Al-Maharik ![PLOS](https://journals.plos.org/resource/img/logo-plos-full-color.svg) x * Published: September 2, 2026 * * [Article](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443) * [Authors](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/authors?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443) * [Metrics](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/metrics?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443) * [Comments](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comments?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443) * [Media Coverage](http://plos.altmetric.com/details/doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0357443) * [Peer Review](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/peerReview?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443) * [Abstract](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#abstract0) * [1. Introduction](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#sec001) * [2. Materials and methods](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#sec002) * [3. Results and discussion](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#sec009) * [4. Conclusion](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#sec014) * [Supporting information](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#sec015) * [Acknowledgments](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#ack) * [References](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#references) * [Reader Comments](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comments?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443) * [Figures](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443) ## Abstract _Coridothymus capitatus_ (L.) Reichenb. f. (syn. _Thymus capitatus_) is a Mediterranean aromatic herb esteemed for its essential oil rich in bioactive phenolic compounds. In the current study, essential oils (EOs) were obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh and dried leaves of _C. capitatus_ collected from Hebron and Bethlehem, Palestine, and evaluated for their chemical composition, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed that oxygenated monoterpenes were the leading class (69.03–74.44%), with thymol and carvacrol as the major constituents. A clear chemotypic divergence was observed between the two locations, with thymol-rich oils in Hebron and carvacrol-rich oils in Bethlehem. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH radical-scavenging assay over a concentration range of 0.333–33.33 µg/mL. At the highest experimentally tested concentration (33.33 µg/mL), DPPH inhibition ranged from 28.21 ± 0.76 to 34.40 ± 0.85ᵃ% among the EOs, with Hebron-fresh oil showing the highest activity. Antibacterial tests displayed substantial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with MICs between 25 and 100 µg/mL, while antifungal tests revealed strong inhibitory effects against phytopathogenic fungi, particularly _Botrytis californica_ and _Fusarium_ species, with MICs as low as 6.25 µg/mL. The geographical origin and post-harvest drying influenced the chemical composition and biological activities of the EOs, demonstrating chemotypic variation among Palestinian _C. capitatus_ populations. This study provides a comprehensive comparison of EOs from _C. capitatus_ populations from two geographically distinct regions of Palestine and evaluates the effects of post-harvest drying on their phytochemical composition and antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. These findings contribute to understanding the chemotypic variation of Palestinian _C. capitatus_ and highlight its potential as a natural source of bioactive compounds for food preservation, sustainable crop protection, and related applications. _Coridothymus capitatus_ (L.) Reichenb. f. (syn. _Thymus capitatus_) is a Mediterranean aromatic herb esteemed for its essential oil rich in bioactive phenolic compounds. In the current study, essential oils (EOs) were obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh and dried leaves of _C. capitatus_ collected from Hebron and Bethlehem, Palestine, and evaluated for their chemical composition, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed that oxygenated monoterpenes were the leading class (69.03–74.44%), with thymol and carvacrol as the major constituents. A clear chemotypic divergence was observed between the two locations, with thymol-rich oils in Hebron and carvacrol-rich oils in Bethlehem. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH radical-scavenging assay over a concentration range of 0.333–33.33 µg/mL. At the highest experimentally tested concentration (33.33 µg/mL), DPPH inhibition ranged from 37.50 ± 0.83% to 52.08 ± 0.36% among the EOs, with Hebron-fresh oil showing the highest activity. Antibacterial tests displayed substantial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with MICs between 25 and 100 µg/mL, while antifungal tests revealed strong inhibitory effects against phytopathogenic fungi, particularly _Botrytis californica_ and _Fusarium_ species, with MICs as low as 6.25 µg/mL. The geographical origin and post-harvest drying influenced the chemical composition and biological activities of the EOs, demonstrating chemotypic variation among Palestinian _C. capitatus_ populations. These findings contribute to understanding the chemotypic variation of Palestinian _C. capitatus_ and highlight its potential as a natural source of bioactive compounds for food preservation, sustainable crop protection, and related applications. ## Figures ![Table 3](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure/image?size=inline&id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443.t003) ![Table 4](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure/image?size=inline&id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443.t004) ![Table 1](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure/image?size=inline&id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443.t001) ![Table 2](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure/image?size=inline&id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443.t002) ![Fig 1](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure/image?size=inline&id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443.g001) ![Table 3](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure/image?size=inline&id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443.t003) ![Table 4](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure/image?size=inline&id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443.t004) ![Table 1](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure/image?size=inline&id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443.t001) ![Table 2](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure/image?size=inline&id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443.t002) ![Fig 1](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure/image?size=inline&id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443.g001) **Citation:** Bsharat O, Hanania M, Alkowni R, Al-Hajj N, Elsaid E, Al-Maharik N (2026) Essential oil composition and biological activities of _Coridothymus capitatus_ collected from two locations in Palestine. PLoS One 21(9): e0357443. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357443 **Editor:** Guadalupe Virginia Nevárez-Moorillón, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, MEXICO **Received:** March 6, 2026; **Accepted:** August 18, 2026; **Published:** September 2, 2026 **Copyright:** © 2026 Bsharat et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the [Creative Commons Attribution License](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. **Data Availability:** ll relevant data are within the manuscript. **Funding:** The author(s) received no specific funding for this work. **Competing interests:** The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. ## 1. Introduction Medicinal and aromatic plants are widely acknowledged as rich reservoirs of natural bioactive compounds, particularly essential oils (EOs) that play important roles in food preservation, pharmaceutical formulations, and cosmetic products. Among these plants, members of the Lamiaceae family are especially valued because of their high concentrations of phenolic secondary metabolites and their broad range of biological activities [[1](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref001)–[6](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref006)]. One prominent species within this family is _Coridothymus capitatus_ (_Thymbra capitata_ (L.) Cav.), commonly referred to as Mediterranean or conehead thyme. This perennial scented bush is native to the Mediterranean basin and has long been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of respiratory, gastrointestinal, and infectious ailments [[7](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref007),[8](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref008)]. The pharmacological and biological properties of _C. capitatus_ are mostly attributed to its volatile oil, often collected from the plant’s aerial parts using hydrodistillation [[9](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref009)–[11](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref011)]. Phytochemical analyses reveal that this EO mostly comprises phenolic monoterpenes, with carvacrol as the major constituent, often accompanied by thymol, _p_ -cymene, and γ-terpinene [[9](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref009)–[12](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref012)]. Carvacrol-rich chemotypes are generally recognized as the primary chemical profile of this species, although the qualitative and quantitative composition of the oil may vary according to geographic origin, environmental conditions, and the developmental stage at harvest [[7](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref007),[8](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref008)]. Significant chemotypic and chemovarietal variability has been documented in _C. capitatus_ populations across the Mediterranean region [[13](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref013)–[15](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref015)]. Plants in the Holy Land have unique EO profiles, marked by variations in the relative concentrations of carvacrol and other monoterpenes [[16](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref016)–[18](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref018)]. These differences reflect ecological adaptation and environmental modulation of secondary metabolite production. Comprehensive surveys of aromatic flora from the Holy Land and Sinai have identified multiple chemotypes and chemovarieties of _C. capitatus_ , highlighting the marked chemical polymorphism of this species and the importance of geographic origin in determining its biological potential and practical applications [[19](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref019)]. The high concentration of phenolic compounds in the EO of _C. capitatus_ is directly associated with its remarkable antioxidant properties. Multiple investigations have confirmed that carvacrol and thymol possess strong radical-scavenging and lipid peroxidation-inhibitory activities, as demonstrated by established _in vitro_ assays such as DPPH and ABTS [[1](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref001)–[6](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref006)]. These effects are primarily attributed to their phenolic hydroxyl groups, which enable hydrogen atom or electron donation to neutralize reactive oxygen species and reduce oxidative stress [[20](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref020)]. In addition to its antioxidant potential, EO of _C. capitatus_ exhibits antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as antifungal activity against several pathogenic fungi [[3](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref003),[7](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref007),[11](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref011)]. These antimicrobial effects are largely attributed to phenolic monoterpenes, particularly carvacrol and thymol, which disrupt microbial cell membranes, increase membrane permeability, and induce leakage of intracellular constituents, ultimately resulting in cell death [[21](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref021)]. Comparable membrane-disruptive antibacterial and antifungal activities of phenolic EO constituents have been demonstrated in oregano- and thyme-based systems [[22](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref022)]. The medicinal relevance of this species is further supported by reports describing anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, and enzyme-inhibitory activities [[19](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref019)–[27](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref027)]. Despite several studies investigating the chemical composition and biological properties of _C. capitatus_ EO in Mediterranean countries, substantial knowledge gaps persist [[9](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref009),[10](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref010),[12](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref012)–[15](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref015),[17](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref017),[19](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0357443#pone.0357443.ref019)]. Previous researches have largely focused on populations from individual terrestrial regions or specific biological activities, making direct comparisons difficult because of differences in sampling locations, plant materials, phenological stages, extraction methods, and biological assays. Moreover, information on Palestinian populations remains rare, despite Palestine representing a unique biogeographical region with substantial disparity in altitude, climate, precipitation, and soil characteristics over relatively short distances. Such environmental diversity is expected to affect the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and promote the development of distinct chemotypes. However, no earlier study has systematically compared the chemical composition and biological activities of EOs from fresh and dried leaves collected from geographically distinct Palestini
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