abstract water-distilled essential oil from leaves and flowers of micromeria nubigena h.b.k. (lamiaceae) were analyzed by gc and gc/ms systems. the major components identified were thymol (36.9%), carvacrol (16.7%), pulegone (10.8%), caryophyllene oxide (4.6%) and (e)-phytol (3.2%). the major volatiles released by -glucosidase treatment of the aqueous plant residue were (z)-3-hexenol (31.2%), (z)-2-hexenol (18.3%) and -cadinene (3.4%). the oil showed significant antibacterial activity against staphylococcus aureus, escherichia coli, klebsiella pneumonia, and pseudomonas aeruginosa, and antifungal activity against candida albicans, botrytis cinerea and aspergillus niger, while the -glucosidase-liberated fraction was inactive.