Agronomical and chemical characterisation of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. biotypes from Sicily, Italy

In this study the agromomical and chemical characterization of 13 sicilian biotypes of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. (or Thymus capitatus Hoff. et Link.) collected from different areas of Sicily (Italy) and grown under the same agricultural and environmental condition are reported. The main morpho-productive parameters and quali-quantitative profile of essential oils were determined . Essential oils were extracts from the aerial parts of the plants by hydrodistillation. The essential oils were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis statistical methods were used to group biotypes according to the essential oils chemical composition. The essential oil yield ranged between 4.6 and 8.1 (v / w). 38 essential oil compounds have been identified. The compounds mostly represented were: α-Pinene, Myrcene, α-Terpinene, p-Cymene, γ-Terpinene, Borneol, Carvacrol and β-Caryophyllene. In all biotypes the Carvacrol (67.4 - 79.5%) was the main compound, confirming that Thymbra capitata is a carvacrol chemotype, according to the literature. The results showed that all Sicilian Thymbra biotypes, referred to the present study, have a good adaptation to the climatic conditions of the test environment.