## 3 Results and Discussion  
### NEO Chemical Composition  
Steam distillation of the fresh plant material of \(N\). _fassenii_ gave a yellowish oil with 0.31% (\(v/w\)) yield, similar to those reported in the literature [12,25]. The chemical composition of EO isolated from \(N\). _fassenii_ was investigated using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS). Table 1 presents the NEO chemical compounds according to their elution order on a Br-5 MS capillary column, together with their calculated retention indexes.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c} \hline
**No** & **Compounds** & **RI a ** & **AI b ** & **\%** \\ \hline
1. & alpha-Pinene & 919 & 932 & 0.16 \\
2. & beta-Pinene & 959 & 974 & 0.67 \\
3. & 3-Octanone & 964 & - & 0.17 \\
4. & para-Cymene & 1005 & 1020 & 0.64 \\
5. & Limonene & 1011 & 1024 & 0.19 \\
6. & 1,8-cineole & 1014 & - & 1.39 \\
7. & Terpinen-4-ol & 1178 & 1174 & 0.34 \\
8. & alpha-Terpineol & 1194 & 1186 & 0.23 \\
9. & (S)-Carvone & 1248 & 1239 & 0.27 \\
10. & Hydrocinamic acid, methyl ester & 1280 & - & 0.12 \\
11. & Cyclopropane, (2-methylenebutyl) & 1307 & - & 0.61 \\
12. & 4a alpha,7a alpha,7a alpha-Nepetalactone & 1381 & 1386 & 34.12 \\
13. & Naphthalene, 1-isocyamo & 1392 & - & 1.61 \\
14. & beta-Bourbonene & 1403 & 1387 & 0.97 \\
15. & 3,4 alpha-dihydro-4a alpha,7a alpha,7a alpha-Nepetalactone & 1438 & - & 7.93 \\
16. & Caryophyllene & 1440 & 1417 & 1.68 \\
17. & Germacene-D & 1480 & - & 1.88 \\
18. & 2,9-Dimethyl-5-decyne & 1487 & - & 1.14 \\
19. & gamma-Muurolene & 1496 & 1500 & 0.84 \\
20. & Spiro(5,6)dodecane & 1526 & - & 13.73 \\
21. & Elemol & 1568 & - & 23.23 \\
22. & Caryophilene oxide & 1602 & 1582 & 1.96 \\
23. & alpha-Cadinol & 1671 & 1652 & 0.91 \\
24. & cis-Z-alpha-Bisabolene epoxide & 1809 & - & 1.23 \\
25. & 4,4,8-Trimethylricyclo[6.3.1.0(1,5)]dodecane-2,9-diol & 1865 & - & 1.29 \\
26. & 4-Oxo-beta-isodamascol & 2339 & - & 2.14 \\ \hline \end{tabular} Total:  
\end{table}
Table 1: Chemical composition of _Nepeta_\(\times\)_fassenii_ essential oil (NEO) analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS).  
Twenty-six compounds representing 99.45% of the total oil were identified in NEO. The major components were 4a alpha, 7 apla, 7a alpha-repetalactone (34.12%), elemol (23.23%), spiro(5,6)dodecane (13.73%), and 3\(A\) alpha-dihydro-4a alpha,7 alpha,7a alpha-repetalactone (7.93%) (Table 1). Nepetalactone isomers were the main component of the EOs obtained from species of the _Nepeta_ genus [26]. Three chemotypes were previously reported: nepetalactone chemotype, carryophyllene oxide chemotype, and 1,8-cineole/linaloD chemotype [27]. _N. faassenii_ evaluated in our study belongs to nepetalactone chemotype. Our results are in accordance with the previous investigation reporting large amounts of nepetalactone in EOs isolated from _N. faassenii_[12; 25]. Besides, our study reports for the first time the presence of elemol (23.23%) in the chemical composition of _N. faassenii_ oil. This sesquiterpenoid has also been recorded as a major compound in other oils of the _Nepeta_ genus, such as _N. elliptica_, _N. govaniana_, _N. crassifolia N. nuda_, and _N. cataria_[11; 28].