The essential oil of the protected species: Thymus praecox ssp. penyalarensis

José Blanco Salas, Trinidad Ruiz Téllez, Francisco María Vázquez Pardo, María José Pérez-Alonso, María Ángeles Cases Capdevila

Abstract


The essential oil of a protected Spanish species, Thymus praecox ssp. penyalarensis, was firstly analyzed [Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)] from wild populations during the phenological stages of flowering and fruiting. In flowering, the yield was 1.2%, and the major components were identified as thymol (18.5%), p-cymene (14.6%), carvacrol (11.6%), and γ-terpinene (10.1%). In fruiting, the yield was 0.9% and the major components resulted to be p-cymene (19.0%), carvacrol (16.5%), and borneol (10.5%). An experimental cultivation of the taxa was made also in order to analyze its essential oil as well. The yield was 1.3%, and the main compounds were thymol (19.1%), p-cymene (17.0%), and γ-terpinene (12.3%). Finally, the composition of the essential oil of this plant is discussed in relation to chemotaxonomic and biogeographical aspects.

Keywords


endemism; essential oil; GC-MS; threatened species; Thymus praecox ssp. penyalarensis

Full Text:

PDF

References


Miura K, Kikuzaki H, Nakatani N. Antioxidant activity of chemical components from sage (Salvia officinalis L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) measured by the oil stability index method. J Agric Food Chem. 2002;50(7):1845-1851. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf011314o

Pina-Vaz C, Goncalves Rodrigues A, Pinto E, Costa-de-Oliveira S, Tavares C, Salgueiro L, et al. Antifungal activity of Thymus oils and their major compounds. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2004;18(1):73-78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3083.2004.00886.x

Vigo E, Cepeda A, Gualillo O, Perez-Fernandez R. In-vitro anti-inflammatory effect of Eucalyptus globulus and Thymus vulgaris: nitric oxide inhibition in J774A.1 murine macrophages. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2004;56(2):257-263. http://dx.doi.org/10.1211/0022357022665

Diario Oficial de Extremadura. Ordinance 37/2001, 6th march, by which it is regulated the regional checklist of dangered species of Extremadura, numer 30, 11th march 2001 [Internet]. 2001 [cited 2010 Mar 13]; Available from: http://doe.juntaex.es/pdfs/doe/2001/300O/01040040.pdf

International Seed Testing Association (ISTA). International rules for seed test­ing. Seed Sci Technol. 1999;27 suppl:1-333.

European Pharmacopoeia. 3rd ed. Strasbourg: Council of Europe; 1996.

Adams RP. Identification of essential oil components by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. Carol Stream IL: Allured Publishing Corporation; 2007.

Joulain D, König WA. The atlas of spectral data of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. Hamburg: E. B. Verlag; 1998.

Swigar AA, Silverstein RM. Monoterpenes. Milasauki WI: Aldrich; 1981.

Hierro I, Valero A, Pérez P, González P, Cabo MM, Montilla MP, et al. Action of different monoterpenic compounds against Anisakis simplex s.l. L3 larvae. Phytomedicine. 2004;11(1):77-82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1078/0944-7113-00375

Azuma Y, Ozasa N, Ueda Y, Takagi N. Pharmacological studies on the anti-inflammatory action of phenolic compounds. J Dent Res. 1986;65(1):53-56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00220345860650010901

Astudillo A, Hong E, Bye R, Navarrete A. Antispasmodic activity of extracts and compounds of Acalypha phleoides Cav. Phytother Res. 2004;18(2):102-106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1414

Kim DO, Lee CY. Comprehensive study on vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC) of various polyphenolics in scavenging a free radical and its structural relationship. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2004;44(4):253-273. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10408690490464960

Porter JW, Spurgeon SL, editors. Biosynthesis of isoprenoid compounds. Chichester: Wiley and Sons; 1981. (vol 1).

Jalas J. Thymus L. In: Tutin TG, Heywood VH, Burges NA, Moore DM, Valentine DH, Walters SM, et al., editors. Flora Europaea. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1972. p. 172-182. (vol 3).

Stahl E. Studi zur Variabilität des ätherischen Öls aus Thymus praecox Opiz ssp. arcticus (E. Dudand) Jalas isländischer Vorkommen. Berichte aus der Forschungsstelle Nodri Ás, Hveragerdi (Island). 1982;38:3-69.

Stahl E. The essential oil from Thymus praecox ssp. arcticus growing in Iceland. Planta Med. 1984;50(2):157-160. http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-969659

Stahl E. Chemical polymorphism of essential oil in Thymus praecox ssp. arcticus (Lamiaceae) from Greenland. Nord J Bot. 1984;4(5):597-600. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-1051.1984.tb01985.x

Stahl-Biskup E. The essential oil from norwegian Thymus species. I. Thymus praecox ssp. arcticus. Planta Med. 1986;52(1):36-38.

Schmidt A, Bischof-Deichnik C, Stahl-Biskup E. Essential oil polymorphism of Thymus praecox subsp. arcticus on the British Isles. Biochem Syst Ecol. 2004;32(4):409-421. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2003.10.003

Bischof-Deichnik C, Holtuijzen J, Stahl-Biskup E. Multivariate statistical analysis of the essential oil composition of Thymus praecox Opiz ssp. polytrichus (Kern. ex Borb.) Ronn. collected in the Tyrolean Alps. Flavour Frag J. 2000;15(1):1-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1026(200001/02)15:1<1::AID-FFJ845>3.0.CO;2-8

Jalas J. Thymus L. In: Davis PH, editor. Flora of Turkey. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press; 1982. p. 349-382. (vol 7).

Baser KHC, Kirimer N, Ermin N, Ozek T, Tumen G. Composition of essential oils from three varieties of Thymus praecox Opiz growing in Turkey. J Essent Oil Res. 1996;8:319-321.

Rivas-Martínez S, Penas A, Diaz TE. Bioclimatic map of Europe, bioclimates. León: Cartographic Service, University of León; 2004.

Sáez F, Stahl E. Essential oil polymorphism in the genus Thymus. In: Sáez F, Stahl E, editors. Thyme – the genus Thymus. London: Taylor & Francis; 2002. p. 125-143.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.5586/asbp.2012.003

Journal ISSN:
  • 2083-9480 (online)
  • 0001-6977 (print; ceased since 2016)
This is an Open Access journal, which distributes its content under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, provided that the content is properly cited.
The journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and aims to follow the COPE’s principles.
The journal publisher is a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association.
The journal content is indexed in Similarity Check, the Crossref initiative to prevent scholarly and professional plagiarism.
Publisher
Polish Botanical Society