Thymus, Satureja, and Monarda are three plant genera, belonging to the Lamiaceae family, that are particularly valued for their essential oils (EOs) abundant in phenolic terpenoids. In this study, a botanical characterization of the following eight Eastern European cultivars (some of them newly bred) grown in Ukraine is distinguished: Thymus vulgaris (‘Yalos’, ‘101’), Thymus richardii (‘Fantasia’), Satureja montana (‘Krymsky smaragd’, ‘Lunata’, ‘4-18’), Monarda fistulosa (‘Premiera’), and Monarda × hybrida hort., which is a Monarda didyma × Monarda fistulosa hybrid (‘Tonya’). The EO of those cultivars was obtained and characterized in detail using GC-MS and GC-FID. Additionally, some biological activities of these oils were tested. Antimicrobial activity was verified against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans using disk diffusion and microdilution methods. Furthermore, some preliminary tests were performed on the motility of bull sperm using the CASA system. All the Thymus cultivars were very rich in thymol (57.99–67.62%), and all the S. montana cultivars were very abundant in carvacrol (62.22–75.53%). M. fistulosa cv. ‘Premiera’ contained mainly thymol (49.87%), and M. × hybrida cv. ‘Tonya’ contained both thymol (46.70%) and carvacrol (10.37%). All the tested EOs, as well as thymol and carvacrol, exhibited strong antibacterial and antifungal action with minimal inhibitory concentrations ranging from <0.25–0.5 mg/mL for Satureja, through <0.25–0.5 mg/mL for Monarda, to 0.5–4 mg/mL for Thymus. The EOs, at a concentration of 0.4 µL/mL, exhibited cytotoxicity towards bull spermatozoa when compared to the control sample.

Bee pollen is a complex natural product rich in phenolic and flavonoid compounds with remarkable biological activities. However, its poor solubility limits its functional applications. In this study, bee pollen collected from Kherrata (Bejaia, Algeria) was extracted with ethanol and characterized using spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) confirmed the presence of quercetin as one of the major bioactive compounds. To overcome its low solubility, inclusion complexes with α-cyclodextrin were prepared and analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy and phase solubility studies, revealing AL-type diagrams consistent with 1:1 stoichiometric inclusion. Encapsulation with α-cyclodextrin resulted in superior complex stability and enhanced aqueous solubility. The encapsulated bee pollen extract and quercetin exhibited improved antibacterial activity, particularly against E. coli and K. pneumoniae, while retaining cytocompatibility. In sperm cryopreservation assays, the ethanolic extract and its α-cyclodextrin complexes significantly enhanced motility parameters (VCL, VSL, VAP) and preserved sperm integrity under oxidative stress. These effects are attributed to the sustained release and synergistic antioxidant action of phenolic constituents within the inclusion complex. Finally, this study demonstrates that α-cyclodextrin encapsulation effectively enhances the physicochemical stability, solubility, and bioefficacy of bee pollen-derived bioactives. The combined antioxidant, antibacterial, and cryoprotective effects open new perspectives for the development of natural, functional, and biocompatible systems for biomedical and reproductive applications. Resumen. El polen de abeja es un producto natural complejo, rico en compuestos fenólicos y flavonoides con notables actividades biológicas. Sin embargo, su baja solubilidad limita sus aplicaciones funcionales. En este estudio, el polen de abeja recolectado en Kherrata (Bejaia, Argelia) se extrajo con etanol y se caracterizó mediante métodos espectroscópicos y cromatográficos. La cromatografía líquida de alta resolución (HPLC) confirmó la presencia de quercetina como uno de los principales compuestos bioactivos. Para superar su baja solubilidad, se prepararon complejos de inclusión con α-ciclodextrina y se analizaron mediante espectroscopía FTIR y estudios de solubilidad de fases, que revelaron diagramas de tipo AL compatibles con una inclusión estequiométrica 1:1. La encapsulación con α-ciclodextrina aumentó la estabilidad del complejo y mejoró la solubilidad en medio acuoso. El extracto encapsulado de polen de abeja y la quercetina mostraron una mayor actividad antibacteriana, particularmente frente a E. coli y K. pneumoniae, al tiempo que conservaron su citocompatibilidad. En los ensayos de criopreservación de espermatozoides, el extracto etanólico y sus complejos con α-ciclodextrina mejoraron significativamente los parámetros de motilidad (VCL, VSL y VAP) y preservaron la integridad de los espermatozoides bajo condiciones de estrés oxidativo. Estos efectos se atribuyen a la liberación sostenida y a la acción antioxidante sinérgica de los constituyentes fenólicos del complejo de inclusión. Finalmente, este estudio demuestra que la encapsulación con α-ciclodextrina mejora eficazmente la estabilidad fisicoquímica, la solubilidad y la bioeficacia de los compuestos bioactivos derivados del polen de abeja. La combinación de efectos antioxidantes, antibacterianos y crioprotectores abre nuevas perspectivas para el desarrollo de sistemas naturales, funcionales y biocompatibles destinados a aplicaciones biomédicas y reproductivas.