Screening of the essential oil composition of wild Sicilian thyme

Thirty samples of wild thyme collected from as many Sicilian locations have been analysed for their qualitative and quantitative essential oil profiles The oils obtained by hydro-distillation have been analysed by a combination of GC-FID-MS in all 46 components representing more than 98% of the oils were fully characterized Monoterpenes both hydrocarbons and oxygenated were the most highly represented components the former with a range of 8-61% and the latter with a range of 31-86% Carvacrol was the main compound in 29 samples ranging between 49 and 83% suggesting that Thymus capitatus Hoff et Link [syn Coridothymus capitatus (L) Rchb f Satureja capitata L Thymbra capitate (L) Cav] is the most widespread wild species in the Sicilian area Only one sample identified as Thymus longicaulis C Presl collected from the North-East of Sicily showed a different composition p-cymene and thymol being the main compounds with 40 and 16% respectively Statistical analyses allowed establishing a single broad group confirming the substantial compositional uniformity of the essential oil profiles of the wild Sicilian thyme (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved