Thymus zygis

Dorman, H.J.D. and Deans, S.J. (2004) Chemical composition, antimicrobial and in vitro antioxidant properties of Monarda citriodora var. citriodora, Myristica fragrans, Origanum vulgare ssp. hirsutum, Pelargonium species and Thymus zygis oils. Journal of Essential Oil Research 16, 145-150. 

Oleoresin Thyme Obtained by the solvent extraction of the dried flowering plant Thymus vulgaris L. or Thymus zygis L. and its var. gracelis Boissier (Fam Labiatae) as a dark brown to green, viscous semisolid. 

This work is part of an EC funded study (1) of the best techniques for extracting saleable components from Thymus zygis, a herb which will survive in arid conditions where other plants are difficult to grow. This is a collaborative study involving participants from Portugal and France as well as England (2). 

Several extraction techniques are being studied, but the work described in the present paper is limited to extraction of Thymus zygis (Thyme) and Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) with compressed C02 and the modelling of the data obtained. The latter aspect is important if the data are to be scaled up with a view to the design and costing of potential processes. 

Source Thymus vulgaris L., Thymus zygis L. (Lamiaceae). 

Oil of thyme containing thymol, Spanish type (Thymus zygis (Loefl.) L.)... 

THYME OIL distilled from the leaves and flowers of Thymus vulgaris L. or Thymus zygis... 

Thymol is a MT-ic phenol derivate of cymene, which can be fotmd in EOs of thyme. Thymus vulgaris or Thymus zygis L. var. gracilis Boissir. Thymol constitutes up to 80 % of the major compound of thyme EO, but it can be found in various citrus plants as well [103]. Thymol possesses a well-known antimicrobial and antiseptic activity, and because of its pleasant taste it has been used in mouthwashes and toothpastes for many years [104]. 

Rota, M.C., Herrera, A., Martinez, R.M., Sotomayor, J.A., and Jordan, J. 2008. Antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of Thymus vulgaris. Thymus zygis and Thyntus hyemalis essential oils. Food Control, 19, 681-687. 

E. M. Holmes has recently shown that there are two Spanish spemes of thyme now known to yield thymol as the principal phenol. These are Thymus vulgaris and Thymus Zygis. ... 

Villanueva et studied the pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) of thyme varieties (Thymus vulgaris. Thymus zygis and Thymus citriodorus) using ethanol, limonene, and ethyl lactate solvents, at different extraction temperatures (60, 130, and 200 C). Supercritical fluid extraction wifli pure CO2 (SFE-CO2) and with the three green solvents used as cosolvent were also tested. Additionally, the authors reported solubility data of thymol in limonene and ethanol at ambient pressure and temperatures in the range 30-43 C and the results were compared with efliyl lactate solubility data previously reported. In this respect, it was observed that thymol is very soluble in the three solvents, particularly in ethanol, followed by efliyl lactate, with concentrations around 90 wt% at the highest studied temperature. On the contrary, the solubility of thymol in limonene is somewhat lower ( 73 wt%). 

---