title: Chemical Polymorphism of Origanum compactum Grown in All Natural Habitats in Morocco.
abstract: Origanum compactum L. (Lamiaceae) is one of the most important medicinal species in term of ethnobotany in Morocco. It is considered as a very threatened species as it is heavily exploited. Its domestication remains the most efficient way to safeguard it for future generations. For this purpose, wide evaluation of the existing variability in all over the Moroccan territory is required. The essential oils of 527 individual plants belonging to 88 populations collected from the whole distribution area of the species in Morocco were analyzed by GC/MS. The dominant constituents were carvacrol (0 - 96.3%), thymol (0 - 80.7%), p-cymene (0.2 - 58.6%), γ-terpinene (0 - 35.2%), carvacryl methyl ether (0 - 36.2%), and α-terpineol (0 - 25.8%). While in the Middle Atlas region and the Central Morocco mainly carvacrol type samples were found, much higher chemotypic diversity was encountered within samples from the north part of Morocco (occidental and central Rif regions). The high chemical polymorphism of plants offers a wide range for selection of valuable chemotypes, as a part of breeding and domestication programs of this threatened species.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UR Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, INRA, CRRA-Rabat, PB 6570, 10101, Rabat, Morocco. k.aboukhalid@yahoo.com.|Laboratoire de Chimie Appliquée et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Hassan I, BP 577, 26000, Settat, Morocco. k.aboukhalid@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Kaoutar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aboukhalid
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Chimie Appliquée et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Hassan I, BP 577, 26000, Settat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Abdeslam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lamiri
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute, ul. Czartoryskich 8, PL-24-100, Puławy.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agacka-Mołdoch
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute, ul. Czartoryskich 8, PL-24-100, Puławy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doroszewska
authors.affiliation: Institut national de la Recherche Agronomique, UR Environnement et Conservation des Ressources Naturelles, INRA, CRRA-Rabat, PB 6570, 10101, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Douaik
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UR Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, INRA, CRRA-Rabat, PB 6570, 10101, Rabat, Morocco.|Laboratoire de Biologie et Santé, Faculté des sciences, Université Abdelmalek Essaâdi, BP 2121, 93002, Tétouan, Morocco.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bakha
authors.affiliation: UMR 6134 SPE, Equipe Chimie et Biomasse, Université de Corse-CNRS, Route des Sanguinaires, FR-20000, Ajaccio, France.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casanova
authors.affiliation: UMR 6134 SPE, Equipe Chimie et Biomasse, Université de Corse-CNRS, Route des Sanguinaires, FR-20000, Ajaccio, France.
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tomi
authors.affiliation: UMR 7204 CESCO, Département d'Ecologie et gestion de la Biodiversité, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 55 rue Buffon, FR-75005, Paris.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Machon
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UR Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, INRA, CRRA-Rabat, PB 6570, 10101, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Chaouki Al
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Faiz
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017753:Ecosystem; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009018:Morocco; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D031341:Origanum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile
keywords: 
  Origanum compactum
  ; Chemical variability; Essential oils; Morocco