CAPILLARY GC-MS ANALYSIS OF VOLATILE AND SEMI-VOLATILE COMPOUNDS OF THYMUS GLABRESCENS WILLD.

This work deals with the chemical composition of the aerial part of Thymus glabrescens essential oil isolated by steam distillation using a Clevenger apparatus. The chemical content of volatile and semi-volatile compounds of the plant infusion and tincture is presented. The volatile compounds from infusion and tincture were isolated by Solid Phase Extraction (C18 cartridge) and elution with dichloromethane. Essential oil diluted in dichloromethane and the infusion and tincture dichloromethanic ext racts were analysed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GCMS). The main constituents of volatile oil were mono- and sesquiterpenic hydrocarbons (5.68% and 11.95%), monoterpenic alcohols (16.33%), sesquiterpenic alcohols (44.8%). The content in main volatile compounds of the infusion and tincture was estimated quantitatively using linalyl acetate as internal standard. The analysis of volatile compounds from Thymus glabrescens shows that through infusion and maceration most of the mono- and sesquiterpenic hydrocarbons are lost.