Major volatile compounds of 50 Thymus taxa naturally grown in Antalya region of Turkey

Abstract

A large number of medicinal and aromatic plant species naturally grown in the Mediterranean Basin of Turkey contain secondary metabolites that are used in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and pesticide industries [1–5]. This study used 50 taxa consisting of 9 species or subspecies of the genus Thymus grown wild in Antalya area in the Mediterranean part of Turkey to determine their volatile compounds. The major constituents of the volatile constituents noted in six taxa of Thymus longicaulis C.Presl subsp. chaubardii (Boiss. & Heldr. ex Rchb.f.) Jalas var. chaubardii were borneol, nerol, geraniol, thymol, γ-terpinene, ρ-cymene, camphene, 1,8-cineole and linalool. The main components of three taxa of T. sipyleus Boiss. subsp. sipyleus var. rosulans (Borbas) Jalas were α-pinene, 1,8-cineole, β-caryophyllene, α-terpineol and intermedeol. Three taxa of T. sipyleus Boiss. subsp. sipyleus var. davisianus Ronniger contained 1,8-cineole, ρ-cymene, β-caryophyllene, neral, α-terpineol and geranial as major constituents. Eight taxa of T. sipyleus Boiss. subsp. sipyleus var. sipyleus mainly contained myrcene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, (E)-nerolidol, ρ-cymene, α-terpineol, carvacrol and hexadecanoic acid. Nine taxa of T. zygoides Griseb. var. lycaonicus (Celak) Ronninger contained γ-terpinene, ρ-cymene, borneol, thymol and carvacrol. Three taxa of T. leucotrichus Hal. var. austroanatolicus Jalas contained α-pinene, camphene, myrcene, camphor, linalool, bornyl acetate, thymol and carvacrol. Three taxa of T. cherlerioides Vis. var. isauricus Jalas contained 1,8-cineole, borneol, γ-terpinene and ρ-cymene. Six taxa of T. revolutus Celak contained borneol, 1,8-cineole, γ-terpinene and ρ-cymene. Nine taxa of T. cilicicus Boiss. & Balansa mainly contained 1,8-cineole, linalool, α-terpineol, geraniol, caryophyllene oxide, α-pinene, camphene, camphor and borneol. The occurrence of volatile compounds among clearly indicated that Thymus taxa show significant inter- and infra-specific variations.