Tunisian Pistacia lentiscus Essential Oil: Focus on Its Chemical Composition, Antibiofilm, Antioxidant, and Anti‐enzymatic Activities

This study aimed to characterize the chemical composition of essential oil (EO) obtained by hydrodistillation from leaves of Tunisian Pistacia lentiscus (yield: 0.18%) and to evaluate its antibiofilm, antioxidant, and enzyme-inhibitory activities. The composition was determined by GC–MS and compared with other Tunisian EOs reported in the literature using multivariate analysis. The EO was rich in α-pinene (19.95%) and terpinen-4-ol (15.49%). Antibiofilm activity was assessed by crystal violet and MTT assays against five bacterial strains (three Gram-negative and two Gram-positive), with Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa being the most sensitive. Enzyme inhibition was evaluated spectrophotometrically against cholinesterases, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase. Acetylcholinesterase showed the highest sensitivity (IC50 = 1.10 mg/mL). Overall, the EO represents a promising natural source of antibiofilm agents and enzyme inhibitors, with potential applications in the control of bacterial biofilms and in targeting enzymes relevant to metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders.