FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF THE COMMON THYME (THYMUS VULGARIS L.) HERB

Abstract

Introduction. The relevance of studying the fatty acid composition of common thyme herb (Thymus vulgaris L.) is due to the accumulation of biologically active substances with high pharmacological activity and the widespread use of plant raw materials and medicinal products in modern medicine. The study of the component composition of fatty acids in plant raw materials is timely and necessary for its standardization, the development of new medicinal products, and the expansion of its use for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. The aim of the work. Study of the qualitative composition and quantitative content of fatty acids in the herb of Common thyme during flowering and to determine the predominant compounds of this class characteristic of the studied species. Materials and Methods. The herb of common thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) herb was harvested in 2023 during the flowering period (June-August) in Zaporizhzhia region (Volodymyrivka village) in accordance with the requirements of the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine (Ukraine (SPhU, State Enterprise “Pharmacopoeial Center,” 2014, p. 485). The method of gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) was using an HP 6890 an HP 6890 series instrument equipped with a flame ionization detector. A DB-5ms capillary column (30 m × 250 µ m) was utilized. Thermostat temperature – 196°C, injector – 250°C, detector – 2 75°C. Carrier gas – nitrogen, flow rate – 40 ml/min, sample volume – 1 μl. As standard samples, we used Ukraine DSZU-265-00008 samples, which correspond to the composition of fatty acids. Results and Discussion. The study identified and quantified 10 fatty acids in the n-hexane extract of common thyme herb. Biologically active unsaturated fatty acids predominated in the composition of the studied herb: linolenic (28,17 ± 2,19%), oleic (24,11 ± 2,23%), linoleic (20,82 ± 2,56%), eicosadienoic (1,74 ± 0,16%) and gondolinic (0,42 ± 0,04%). Saturated fatty acids in the studied herb constituted up to: palmitic (14,28 ± 1,42%), stearic (5,36 ± 0,50%), behenic (2,59 ± 0,26%), palmitoleic (2,47 ± 0,25%) and myristic (0,10 ± 0,01%). Conclusions. The conducted research regarding Thymus vulgaris L. herb has revealed the presence of 10 fatty acids, and their composition and quantitative content were determined using the GLC method. The findings indicate a predominance of unsaturated fatty acids. This high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids suggests potential biological activities of the herb, including anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and lipoprotective effects.