First report on the chemical composition and the free radical scavenging and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil of , an endemic plant of Algeria.

This study represents the first investigation of the chemical composition and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Förther & Podlech, a plant species endemic to the Aures Mountains of Algeria. The essential oil of the plant aerial parts was analysed using GC-MS. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using three methods. A total of 44 compounds were identified. The major constituents were dodecanal, hexahydrofarnesylacetone, 2-tridecanone, phytol, 1-heneicosene, and -heneicosane. The oil displayed significant activity in the β-carotene bleaching assay, moderate scavenging activity against DPPH radicals and a low ability to reduce iron ions. Antibacterial tests conducted on four strains revealed effectiveness primarily against Gram-positive strains, specifically ATCC 25923 and ATCC 43300, while showing limited impact on Gram-negative strains, ATCC 27853 and ATCC 25922. Antifungal activity tests involving two moulds revealed a stronger inhibition against compared to