Expediting multiple biological properties of main bioactive compounds of Mentha pulegium L.

This study aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic, dermatoprotective, and antibacterial properties of Mentha pulegium L. essential oil (MPEO), harvested in Ouezzane, northwest Morocco. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified pulegone (41.0%) and menthone (21.2%) as the major constituents. The antibacterial activity was assessed using the micro-broth dilution method, while antidiabetic and dermatoprotective effects were evaluated via in vitro inhibition of α-amylase, α-glucosidase, tyrosinase, and elastase. Additionally, molecular docking was used to assess interactions between key enzymes and major compounds. Both menthone and pulegone exhibited strong antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes, with MIC and MBC values ranging from 0.125 to 0.25 µg/mL. Remarkably, menthone and pulegone demonstrated MIC = MBC = 0.125 µg/mL against S. aureus and L. monocytogenes, respectively. In antidiabetic assays, all tested compounds outperformed acarbose. Menthone showed the best inhibition with IC₅₀ values of 149.32 ± 4.16 and 108.39 ± 4.08 μg/mL for α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively. MPEO also displayed potent dermatoprotective activity, with IC₅₀ values of 56.23 ± 2.24 μg/mL (tyrosinase) and 90.36 ± 2.26 μg/mL (elastase), compared to quercetin. In silico analysis confirmed strong binding affinities of pulegone and menthone to target enzymes involved in glucose regulation. These findings highlight MPEO as a promising natural source of bioactive compounds with antibacterial, antidiabetic, and dermatoprotective properties, supporting its potential use in pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications.