Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Ziziphora clinopodioides Essential Oil: A Review

Context: Ziziphora clinopodioides is a well-known aromatic and culinary species of the genus Ziziphora. It has been used in Iranian folk medicine for healing digestive issues and fever. Extensive studies have been published on the characterization of the essential oil of this aromatic plant and its related biological properties. This study aimed to review the chemical composition and biological properties of Z. clinopodioides essential oil. Evidence Acquisition: The literature survey was performed using search engines Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed, with the search period spanning within 1990 to 2022. Results: The investigation of Z. clinopodioides essential oil composition revealed that oxygenated monoterpenoids, such as pulegone and related menthane-type structures, in addition to aromatic monoterpenoids, such as carvacrol and thymol, comprise the majority of Z. clinopodioides essential oil components. Due to the high monoterpenoid content, Z. clinopodioides essential oil possesses outstanding biological properties, including antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal activity. Conclusions: Ziziphora clinopodioides essential oil could be considered a natural, rich source of bioactive monoterpenoids encompassing potent biological activities. Therefore, based on the reported properties, it seems that Z. clinopodioides essential oil potentially has widespread industrial applications.