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Title: AROMATIC PROFILES OF THYMUS HYEMALIS AND SPANISH THYMUS VULGARIS ESSENTIAL OILS BY GC-MS/GC-O

Author
item Goodner, Kevin
item Mahattanatawee, Kanjana
item Plotto, Anne
item JORDAN, MARIA - IMIDA, MURCIA, SPAIN
item SOTOMAYOR, J - IMIDA, MURCIA, SPAIN

Submitted to: International Conference on Industrial Crops and Rural Development Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2005
Publication Date: 9/1/2005
Citation: Goodner, K.L., Mahattanatawee, K., Plotto, A., Jordan, M.J., Sotomayor, J.A. 2005. Aromatic profiles of thymus hyemalis and Spanish thymus vulgaris essential oils by GC-MS/GC-O. In: Pascual-Villalobos, M.J., Nakayama, F.S., Bailey, C.A., Correal, E. and Schloman, Jr., W.W. International Conference on Industrial Crops and Rural Development Proceedings. Murcia, Spain: Pardo Communication, S.L. p. 405-411.

Interpretive Summary: Two species of thyme (Thymus hyemalis and Thymus vulgaris) vary greatly with regards to chemical composition. Shrubs were harvested at five different maturation stages during the plant vegetative cycle. Analyses were conducted on each maturation stage to determine odor active compounds in each species and at each maturation stage. A total of 96 (hyemalis) and 52 (vulgaris) aromas were detected with the 27 (hyemalis) and 26 (vulgaris) most important reported here. Three previously unreported compounds are detailed in this study.

Technical Abstract: Thymus hyemalis L. and Spanish Thymus vulgaris L. shrubs are characterized by a great chemical intraspecific variability among plants. This fact makes it difficult to detect real changes happening in their essential oil composition during the vegetative cycle. Based on this, in the present work, clones of T. hyemalis and T. vulgaris were used to monitor real seasonal variations in the aromatic composition of the essential oil. Shrubs were harvested at five different phenological stages during the plant vegetative cycle. Capillary GC/MS with olfactometry analysis was used to determine the volatile profile of the essential oil samples. GC-Olfactometry analysis was conducted on each phenological stage for T. hyemalis and T. vulgaris. A total of 96 (hyemalis) and 52 (vulgaris) aromas were detected with the 27 (hyemalis) and 26 (vulgaris) most important listed here. The compounds with the most aroma impact for T. hyemalis are linalool, borneol, thymol, and ß-damascenone. The compounds with the most aroma impact for T. vulgaris are eucalyptol, borneol, terpinyl acetate, and ß-damascenone. ß-Damascenone, ß-ionone, and myrtenol are reported for the fist time.