Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the essential oil of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. in Spain

We studied the chemical composition of the essential oil of Spanish populations of Thymbra capitata. The production from different parts and their antioxidant capacity were compared both during flowering and during fruiting over three years, from wild and cultivated material. 38 components were identified: highlighting aromatic monoterpenes (carvacrol >= 66%; p-cymene, 7.3-9.2%), monocyclic monoterpenes (gamma-terpinene, 3.4-11.2%; alpha-terpinene, 0.3-2.0%), bicyclic monoterpenes (alpha-thujene, 0.9-2.0%; alpha-pinene, 0.7-1.4%, camphene, 0.2-0.9%), acyclic monoterpene (myrcene, 1.7-2.4%) and sesquiterpenes as (E)-caryophyllene (1.0-2.0%). A very high lipophilic antioxidant activity was measured with no significant differences between the flowering and fruiting stage.