Chemical characterization of bioactive volatile molecules of four thymus species using nanoscale injection method

This paper is devoted to an investigation carried out on the volatile molecules of air-dried leaves of four species of Thymus species: Thymus persicus, Thymus eriocalyx, Thymus daenensis subsp. daenensis and Thymus serpyllum L. growing wild in Lorestan area in the western part of Iran. The species were obtained through hydro-distillation process and analyzed by using nanoscale injection method in GC and GC/MS. Four species were compared to determine the similarities and differences among their volatile compounds. Sixty-five constituents representing 98.05%, 89.70%, 96.45% and 93.08% of essential oils were identified respectively. The major constituents noted were as Thymus daenensis subsp. daenensis: cis-Sabinene hydrate (9.2%), α-Terpineol (13.18%) and Caervacrol (12.38%), Th. Eriocalyx: 1-Borneol (10.46%) and Thymol (66.34%), Th. Percicus: Limonene (11.62%), Thymol (10.38%) and Carvacrol (25.71%), Th. serpyllium: α-Pinene (12.2%) and Carvacrol (14.94%). The complex array and differing abundances of these compounds among the Thymus species under the investigation suggest that they may provide useful characters in understanding the phylogenetic relationships among closely related species