Investigation of the essential oil quantity and quality of summer savoury and germander of Italian and Armenian origin

Abstract

In the context of a German-Armenian research cooperation in the fields of ethnobotanic and chemical analysis of medicinal plants, a first step in the analyzation of summer savoury (Satureja hortensis) and germander (Teucrium polium L.) had been conducted. The knowledge of the Armenian population in Tatev about any traditional usage of local salutary herbs generated an initial point. Based on this knowledge, dried material of those kinds were investigated regarding the essential oil quantity and quality. Furthermore, a comparison between summer savoury of Armenian and Italian origin followed.
Throughout the investigation, the distillation time was diversified (0.5h to 3.0h) and calibrated with 4 different external standards for summer savoury. With the help of 4 different external standards, their amounts in the essential oil were determined. As an analytical device GC-MS was used. The mean components of Italian and Armenian summer savoury were Carvacrol (41-49%), y-Terpinene (30-38%), a-Terpinene (4.7-5.6%), p-Cymene (3-5%) and ß-Myrcene (2.5-2.6%). The mean components of Armenian germander were ß-Pinene (25-28%), Thymol (6.1-7.4%), Germacrene D (4.2-5.9%), D-Limonene (3.8-5.8%), ß-Farnesen (4.7-5.2%), a-Pinene (3.2- 5.0%), a-Thujene (4.0-4.8%), ß-Mycrene (4.1-4.5%), Terpinen-4-ol (3.4-4.1%), y-Terpinene (3.7-4.0%), Caryophyllene (2.9-3.3%) and Carvone (1.1-1.3%).
Furthermore, a decolouration of summer savoury’s essential oil was noticed over a brief period of storage. The amount of essential oil increased with distillation time up to its limit reached first at 1,5h. At the same time, a decrease of p-Cymene was noticed. No decline of components was observed during a storage time of 3 months for summer savoury’s essential oil of Italian origin.