A study of the content in volatile oils and their composition of various aromatic herbs from ecological soils

Abstract

Volatile oils (aromatic essences) have been well known since ancient times, both as food flavors and as a treatment solution for sanitary and cosmetic purposes. In order to highlight the content in the volatile oils and their composition, a number of fresh aromatic plants have been studied, as: lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), sage (Salvia officinalis), thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and oregano (Origanum vulgare), all originated from the organic crops of the Hofigal Company. Essential oils were obtained by using the water vapor extraction technique, while for the identification of volatile oil components was used gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The experimental results present the volatile oil content of the studied aromatic plants and also the important and specific chemical components of each volatile oil. Likewise, the soils used for plants growth have been analyzed for organochlorine content by using gas chromatography with electron capture detector (ECD). The concentration of these organic compounds is below the maximum allowable limit established by specific law (Order no. 756/1997) for soils of Romania. These volatile oils from organic sources will be used as raw materials for obtaining food supplements and cosmetics products.