Comparison Of The Novel And Traditional Extraction Techniques For The Isolation Of Thyme Bioactive Compounds

Abstract

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) from Lamiaceae family is a widely distributed spice in the world which provides strong medicinal potential. Thymol followed by carvacrol, and linalool, the major volatile compounds in thyme essential oil, express high antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity. The aim of this research was to select the most efficient technique in terms of antioxidant activity and the amount of bioactive compounds. Within the experiential part of this research, two tipes of essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation (HD) and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MWHD), and lipophilic extracts obtained by Soxhlet extraction (Sox) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) were subjected to comparison in terms of extraction yield and in vitro antioxidative activity against DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2’-azino-bis-(-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt) radicals. Moreover, the differences in the essential oils and lipophilic extracts chemical profile were distinguish by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Finally, a properly chosen extraction technique can enable obtaining valuable thyme’s products that can be applied in various forms to increase the bacteriological safety of food and cosmetic products.