Lavandula stoechas essential oil from Spain: Aromatic profile determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory bioactivities.

• Lavandula stoechas essential oil composition was studied.
• Absolute and relative concentration of volatiles was determined.
• Enantiomeric distribution was determined for the main biomolecules.
• Positive evaluation: antioxidant activity for essential oils.
• Positive evaluation: LOX inhibitory activity for essential oils and biomolecules.

Lavandula stoechas essential oils (EOs), obtained from plants grown in the South East of Spain, were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS) detection to determine their composition, in both relative (peak area) and absolute (using standard curves) concentrations. Fenchone (33–37%), camphor (16–24%) and eucalyptol (17–18%) were determined as the most abundant molecules among the principal compounds. This characterization was completed with the enantioselective gas chromatography, depicting limonene, fenchone or camphor as the main dextrorotatory components and camphene, linalool or E-β-caryophyllene as the main levorotatory components. These enantiomers provide proof of the natural origin of the EOs. Antioxidant activity was evaluated positively by several methods: activity against free radicals (ORAC, DPPH, ABTS), chelating and reducing power, probably due to linalool and thymol. Mild inhibitory activity on lipoxygenase (LOX) was observed indicating a possible anti-inflammatory activity, mainly due to thymol, fenchone and camphor. These properties support the potential use of L. stoechas EOs as natural cosmetic and natural pharmaceutical ingredients for several skin diseases.

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