Determination of Volatile Components in Thymus vulgaris L. under in vitro Conditions

Abstract

Thymus vulgaris (thyme), a species of aromatic and medicinal plant of Lamiaceae family, is a bushy, woody evergreen subshrub with small, highly aromatic, grey-green leaves and clusters of purple or pink flowers that bloom in early summer. It is native to southern Europe from the western Mediterranean to southern Italy and Turkey. There are 38 species in Turkey, 53 % of which are endemic. Thyme essential oils are distilled from flowers and leaves that are widely used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food industries. Despite the advantages and potential applications, however, there are few reports detailing in vitro propagation of T. vulgaris. The main goal in this study was to determine volatile components of in vitro micropropagated thyme by microdistillation method. GC/MS and GC/FID analysis showed that thymol, -terpinene, p-cymene, thymol acetate, -caryophyllene, carvacrol methyl ether, and linalool were the main volatile components of thyme.