title: A chemometrics as a powerful tool in the elucidation of the role of metals in the biosynthesis of volatile organic compounds in Hungarian thyme samples.
abstract: The volatile fraction of the leaves of Thymus pannonicus All. (Lamiaceae) was analyzed by headspace extraction followed by GC-FID and GC-MS analysis. The different headspace profiles were recognized, with citral and with monoterpene hydrocarbons as dominant compounds. In addition, the determination of Cr, Co, Ni, Mo, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Mg, Ca, K and Na was conducted by spectroscopic techniques (FAAS, GFAAS and ICP-OES). In order to evaluate the relationship between volatile organic compounds and metals, a chemometrics approach was applied. The data obtained by analysis of the headspace and elemental content were subjected to correlation analysis, factor analysis, principal component analysis and cluster analysis. A number of significant correlations of metals with plant volatiles were found. Correlation of Zn with citral, Mn with oxygenated monoterpenes and Mg with β-bourbonene, could be explained by involvement of metals in the biosynthesis of volatile organic compounds.
authors.affiliation: University of Belgrade - Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Vojvode Stepe 450, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: jelenaa@pharmacy.bg.ac.rs.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arsenijević
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marković
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Soštarić
authors.forename: Slavica
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ražić
mesh_terms: D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*; D046930:Thymus Plant / Q000378:metabolism*; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
keywords: AS; Atomic spectrometry; CA; FAAS; GC–FID; GC–MS; GFAAS; Gas chromatography; HS; ICP-OES; Metals; PCA; Terpene biosynthesis; Thymus; VOC; atomic spectrometry; cluster analysis; flame atomic absorption spectrometry; gas chromatography–flame ionization detector; gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry; headspace; inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry; principal component analysis; volatile organic compounds