Antiphytoviral Activity of Satureja montana L. ssp. variegata (Host) P. W. Ball Essential Oil and Phenol Compounds on CMV and TMV

The essential oil of Satureja montana L. ssp. variegata (Host) P. W. Ball (Lamiaceae) was characterized by a high concentration of oxygenated monoterpenes (71.3%), among which carvacrol (19.4%) and thymol (16.6%) were the major compounds. When the essential oil was applied on local hosts Chenopodium amaranticolor Coste & Reyn. and Chenopodium quinoa Willd. simultaneously with the infecting virus, the number of local lesions on both Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) infected plants was reduced for 29.2% and 24.1%, respectively. When applied individually for each virus, thymol was more effective in reducing CMV infection (33.2%), while carvacrol was more effective in reducing the TMV infection (34.3%). No synergistic effect of both monoterpenes was observed in the antiviral activity of the oil.