Volatile Compound Profiles And Chemical Variation Of Origanum Onites L. From Denizli, Türkiye

İsa SERTAKAYA, Hüseyin FAKİR, Özdemir ŞENTÜRK

Abstract


This study aimed to characterize the volatile compound profiles of Origanum onites L. collected from natural habitats across different localities and elevations in Denizli, Türkiye, and to evaluate the chemical diversity among the collected samples. Field surveys identified 110 localities where the species occurred, from which seven sample groups (O1–O7) representing different geographical locations and elevation ranges were selected for chemical analysis. The volatile compound profiles of the aboveground plant material were determined using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC–MS). The resulting data were evaluated according to chemical classes, while similarities and differences among samples were examined using heatmap visualization and principal component analysis (PCA). A total of 63 volatile compounds were identified. Carvacrol was the predominant compound in samples O1–O5, accounting for 25.38–49.20% of the volatile profiles, whereas linalool predominated in samples O6 and O7, reaching 67.92% and 53.28%, respectively. Oxygenated monoterpenes (36.80–76.93%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (16.06–51.68%) represented the major chemical classes. Sample O5 was particularly distinguished by its high sesquiterpene hydrocarbon content (51.68%). The first two principal components explained 87.82% of the total variance, revealing differences in chemical composition among the investigated samples. The findings demonstrated that the examined O. onites samples exhibited distinct carvacrol- and linalool-dominant volatile profiles and that the observed chemical variation could not be explained by elevation alone. This study contributes to documenting the local chemical diversity of O. onites in Denizli and provides baseline information for future ecological, phytochemical, and biological activity investigations.

Keywords


Carvacrol; linalool; HS-SPME/GC–MS; phytochemical variability; intraspecific variation; aromatic plants

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.52155/ijpsat.v59.2.8809

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