COMPOSITIONAL PROFILE OF ESSENTIAL OILS OF Origanum vulgare IN TWO DRYING CONDITIONS

ORDEN, AGUSTINA; CORTEZ, FACUNDO; LAZZARINI, NATALIA; COSTANTINO, ANDREA ROSANA; MANSO, VICTORIA; MINIG, MARISOL; BELLOZAS REINHARD, MONICA; MOLDES, CARLOS ALBERTO

Virtual

Jornada; XXIII ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ARGENTINEAN BIOLOGY SOCIETY (SAB); 2021

Origanum vulgare L. is an aromatic herbaceous plant that belongs to the Labiaceae family. The essential oil obtained from this species is considered of commercial interest by the gastronomic, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries due to its organoleptic characteristics and its use as an antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, among others. One of the aspects that determines the quality of the product is the post-harvest treatment, particularly the drying stage. Plant material not properly dried is damaged and has no commercial value and, therefore, it is discarded. The objective of the work was to evaluate the physicochemical properties, the compositional profile of the essential oils and yields of O. vulgare in two drying conditions of the plant material. The chemical profile was determined by CG–MS and the percentage yield of essential oils from flowers of the Don Bastia variety. The plant material was dried for 10 days, in an environment with shelter from light and natural air circulation, rotation every 24 h and without rotation. The yield of the essential oil decreased by 40% when plant rotation was not carried out. However, the essential oil obtained in both drying conditions showed similar physicochemical properties and relative abundance of the major components, thymol and cis-β-terpineol, characteristic of the chemotype. This result indicates that material that has not been properly dried and is disposed of, can be used to obtain essential oils with similar quality to that obtained from properly dried materials. Therefore, it is possible to generate added value in materials that are discarded due to their appearance and no commercial value.