The Use of Essential Oil and Hydrosol Extracted from Satureja hellenica for the Control of Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Authors

In this study, authors evaluated of the nematicidal activity of the essential oil and hydrosol obtained from an indigenous species Satureja hellenica and their correlation to the chemical composition. Finally, they found that S.hellenica extracts can control M. incognita and M. javanica. Results underlined the paralysis activity against J2s along with the inhibition of egg differentiation and hatching. The EO is characterized by the presence of p-cymene 80 (27.46%) and carvacrol (23.25%). This work is the first study to report the toxic effect of S. hellenica extracts against M. incognita and M. javanica. This manuscript is well organized, comprehensively described, the results appear sound. However, the presentation of data, figures and tables were too rough and need to be redrawn. This manuscript can be reconsidered after major revision.

Major and Minor concerns

1. The major component of EO fromhellenica are carvacrol and p-cymene. Please added the experimental data of nematicidal activity of the compound or discuss the nematicidal activity of these two compound in literatures.
2. Too much errors in the figures. The texts and symbols are unclear. Please redraw it.
3. In table 1, Line 87 and 88. The format of texts are different.
4. In table 2-5, the line of the chart is out of range.
5. Too much format errors in the manuscript. Please followed the author’s instruction of journal.

Author Response

1. More references dealing relevant to the findings of the present study were added in the discussion section.
2. All errors were corrected. Probably this happened during the transfer of the files from excel to word.
3. Format was changed according to journal's guidelines.
4. All charts were transferred again to meet journal;s format.
5. All format errors were corrected.

Reviewer 2 Report

From a rapid survey of the literature, it seems that this is the first study about the chemical composition of the essential oil from this species. To improve the scientific value of the manuscript, authors should check literature and, if it is true, highlight this.

Table 1: if percentages are not means of multiple experiments, use only one decimal figure.

Line 22 Change “Benzene, 2-ethenyl-1-methoxy-3-

methyl” with the common name coahuilensol methyl ether

Line 30: delete the first parenthesis

Line 32: α-Caryophyllene is better known as α-humulene, please change

Lines 33-38: use plain text, not italic

Table 1: To improve results, at the end of the table the total identification percentages should be added. Furthermore, just above these values, also subtotals of the different chemical classes should be added (i.e. monoterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated monoterpenes,  sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated sesquiterpenes, etc.). Also these subtotals should be briefly discussed in the manuscript

By the way, please, revise your values because the total identification for essential oil is above 100%

Author Response

1. More literature references were added.
2. One decimal was used in all tables.
3. Line 22: it was changed.
4. Parenthesis was deleted.
5. It was changed.
6. Italics were changed to plain text.
7. All corrections and suggestions for the chemical part of the manuscript were included in the text and tables.

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Authors

The errors in the table and figure were all corrected. More references were also added in the discussion section.

I recommend this manuscript to be accepted in present form.

Author Response

Dear Sir/Madam

I have tried to remove some sentences or change many of them in order to reduce overall similarity index below 30% or the single repetition rate to less than 10%. I hope that the revised manuscript meets Journal'a standards.

Sincerely

Dr Ioannis Giannakou