title: Agronomical and chemical characterisation of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. biotypes from Sicily, Italy.
abstract: In this study, the agronomical and chemical characterisation of 13 Sicilian biotypes of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav., grown under the same agricultural and environmental condition, are reported. The main morpho-productive parameters and quali-quantitative profile of essential oils (EOs) were determined. The EOs were analysed by gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis statistical methods were used to group biotypes according to the EOs chemical composition. The EO yield ranged between 4.6 and 8.1 (v/w). A total of 38 EO compounds have been identified. The compounds mostly represented were α-pinene, myrcene, α-terpinene, p-cymene, γ-terpinene, borneol, carvacrol and β-caryophyllene. In all biotypes, the carvacrol (67.4-79.5%) was the main compound, confirming that T. capitata is a carvacrol chemotype. The results showed that all Sicilian Thymbra biotypes have a good adaptation to the climatic conditions of the test environment.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences , University of Palermo , Viale delle Scienze 13, 90128 Palermo , Italy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tuttolomondo
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dugo
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leto
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cicero
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tropea
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Virga
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Licata
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: La Bella
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000081007:Cymenes; D060146:Ecotype; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019686:Lamiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000737:chemistry; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D012802:Sicily
chemical_list: D000081007:Cymenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils; C073316:carvacrol
keywords: PCA; Sicily; Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav; biomass; essential oils