Skip to the main content

Original scientific paper

Effect of Harvest Time on Yield and Quality of Thymus vulgaris L. Essential Oil in Isfahan Province, Iran

Saied Salehi ; Department of Agronomy, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Ahmad Reza Golparvar orcid id orcid.org/0000-0002-1013-4198 ; Department of Agronomy and plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
Amin Hadipanah orcid id orcid.org/0000-0002-8194-2715 ; Department of Horticulture, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran


Full text: english pdf 91 Kb

page 115-118

downloads: 763

cite


Abstract

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) is a perennial sub shrub belonging to family Lamiaceae. Thyme essential oils have been used for many thousands of years, especially in food preservation, pharmaceuticals, alternative medicine and natural therapies. In order to determine the effect of harvest time on quality and quantity of essential oil in thyme, this experiment was done in a randomized complete block design with three replications at research station of Islamic Azad University, Khorasgan (Isfahan) during 2010-2011. Plants were harvested in five stages: before blooming, beginning of blooming, 50% blooming, full blooming and fruit set. The essential oils obtained from the phenological stages of thyme were analyzed by using GC/MS. The results obtained in our study showed that the phenological stages had very significant effects (P < 0.01) on essential oil yield and percentage as well as thymol percentage and yield. The highest essential oil content of thyme (2.42%) was extracted at the beginning of blooming stage. Analysis and identification of components showed that thymol is the main compound in all samples. The highest thymol content of thyme (74.8%) was extracted at the full blooming stage. According to the results of this research, harvesting the thyme at 50% blooming stage have maximum essential oil quality and quantity in Isfahan province.

Keywords

Thymus vulgaris; phenological stages; GC-MS; essential oil yield and percent; thymol

Hrčak ID:

129095

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/129095

Publication date:

18.6.2014.

Visits: 1.673 *