Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
The 12th Conference on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Southeast European Countries, İzmir, Türkiye, 17 Ekim 2024, (Özet Bildiri)
Essential oils are complex mixtures of volatile plant extracts. Each
essential oil has a unique chemical composition that determines its distinctive
aroma and potential therapeutic effects [1]. Thyme essential oil,
obtained from the fresh or dried leaves and flowers of Thymus spp. through steam distillation, is widely used in
industries such as medicine, pharmacy, perfumery-cosmetics and food [2]. Additionally, it exhibits a variety of biological
properties such as antimicrobial activity, antitussive, antispasmodic and
antioxidative [3]. Ensuring the quality and safety of essential oils is of
great importance for public health due to potential deviations from the
established standards pose a risk to consumers. This study aimed to evaluate
the quality of 12 different Thyme essential oil samples from pharmacies and
non-pharmacy markets (various sources) via focusing on their adherence to the
standards set by the European Pharmacopoeia (EP). The EP serves as the official
reference for national and international regulations, providing both qualitative
and quantitative methods for analyzing active ingredients and excipients used
in pharmaceutical production. Initially, appearance, solubility and resinified
essential oils tests were done to primarily evaluate possible adulterations.
Then, High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and Gas
Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques were applied to all Thyme essential
oil samples to provide comprehensive information about their phytochemical
composition. Additionaly, relative density and refractive index tests were
employed for each sample. Results revealed that none of the samples on the
Turkish market meet the standarts of EP 10.0 criteria. The proportion of
samples meeting the criteria is 43.75% for those sourced from pharmacies,
compared to 39.38% for non-pharmacy samples. The inability of the Thyme
essential oil samples to meet the EP standards highlights the need for greater
efforts and regulatory oversight to enhance the quality of products available
in the market.