Origanum bastetanum Soc. cultivated specimens : Characterization of its essential oil

Abstract Through a combination of GC and GC/MS, we studied the Origanum bastetanum Soc. essential oil obtained from the aerial parts submitted to three different cut-off heights of three-year-old plants, established from micropropagated specimens. Over 80 components were identified, the major ones, in all cases, being γ-terpinene (32.0–37.0%), thymol (29.5–31.6%), p-cymene (7.0–8.8%) and β-caryophyllene (5.0–6.9%). Therefore, this Spanish Origanum species can be classified as belonging to the terpenphenolic oregano group, in contrast to the wild specimens, the main component of which is cis-sabinene hydrate (cis-thujanol).