Short communication. Influence of phenological stage on the antioxidant activity of Thymus zygis s. l. essential oil

  • J. Blanco Salas Grupo HABITAT, Departamento de Producción Forestal, Centro de Investigación Finca La Orden – Valdesequera. Consejería de Empleo, Empresa e Innovación. Junta de Extremadura. Km. 372. 06187 Guadajira (Badajoz), Spain
  • T. Ruiz Téllez Grupo de Investigación en Biología de la Conservación. Área de Botánica. Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Extremadura. Avda. de Elvas s/n. 06071 Badajoz, Spain.
  • F. M. Vázquez Pardo Grupo HABITAT, Departamento de Producción Forestal, Centro de Investigación Finca La Orden – Valdesequera. Consejería de Empleo, Empresa e Innovación. Junta de Extremadura. Km. 372. 06187 Guadajira (Badajoz), Spain
  • M. A. Cases Capdevila Departamento de Medio Ambiente, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria. Crta. de la Coruña, km. 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
  • M. J. Pérez-Alonso Departamento de Biología Vegetal I. Universidad Complutense 28071 Madrid, Spain
  • C. Gervasini Rodríguez Farmacia Rodríguez y Gervasini, Ctra. Corte de Pelea, 33. 06009 Badajoz, Spain
Keywords: antioxidant capacity, chemical composition, Iberian Peninsula, Lamiaceae, phytogenetic resources, thyme

Abstract

When a species has proven antioxidant capacity and possible commercial application it is important to know whether or not this activity varies with the phenological stage of the raw material commodity. The present work aims to assess this topic for the case of Thymus zygis s.l. We analyzed the yield and the chemical composition (gas chromatographymass spectrometry) of its essential oil in five wild populations from the Southwest of Iberian Peninsula at flowering and fruiting stage. We measured their TEAC (Trolox equivalent antioxidant activity) values. The main components were p-cymene (flowering: 33.6-16.2%; fruiting: 43.2-30.3%), γ-terpinene (flowering: 13.5-5.78%; fruiting: 4.67-1.96%) and thymol (flowering: 46.45-22.2%; fruiting: 54.24-13.9%); the latest, especially high (flowering: 46.45%; fruiting: 54.24%) in one of the populations, identified as Thymus zygis ssp. gracilis (Boiss.) R. Morales, which showed the highest antioxidant activity as well. In the set of samples TEAC oscillated between 16.12-30.52 mmol Trolox L-1 (flowering) and 10.96-40.24 mmol Trolox L-1 (fruiting). No significant differences between antioxidant activity of both stages were found, but yields were significantly higher at flowering time. These levels of antioxidant activity are close to those achieved as highly antioxidant food products, as coffee or wine. This species can be a good raw material for agribusiness use, specially the population of Thymus zygis ssp. gracilis.

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Published
2012-05-03
How to Cite
Blanco Salas, J., Ruiz Téllez, T., Vázquez Pardo, F. M., Cases Capdevila, M. A., Pérez-Alonso, M. J., & Gervasini Rodríguez, C. (2012). Short communication. Influence of phenological stage on the antioxidant activity of Thymus zygis s. l. essential oil. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 10(2), 461-465. https://doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2012102-640-11
Section
Plant breeding, genetics and genetic resources