Fatty-Acid Composition and Antifungal Activity of Extracts of Thymus capitatus

The aerial parts of Thymus capitatus were examined for fungicidal activities and analyzed for their fatty acids concentrations, using trans-esterification and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy analysis. Fifteen fatty acids were identified, accounting for 95.0 % of the lipid content. Two major fatty acids, α-linolenic (29.6 %) and linoleic (15.1 %), were found in abundance in the hexane extract. The effect of fatty acids and hexane extract on the growth of the plant pathogenic fungi isolated by citrus fruits—Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryza, Penicillium digitatum, and Fusarium solani—fungi were examined by in vitro studies. The fatty acids and hexane extract inhibited the mycelial growth of all strains tested.