Introduction

Origanum vulgare (Lamiaceae species) is an herb used in food preparations for its aroma, but also as medicinal plant. This plant is found across the Mediterranean. In Albania, it has also been used for centuries as a holistic remedy. The collection of aromatic medical herbs is one of the relevant, sustainable sources of income for families living in rural areas. This study presents data on Origanum vulgare essential oil from plants collected from different areas of Southern Albania to assess their characteristics within the Mediterranean area.

Methods

Fifteen different samples of Origanum vulgare were taken in 7 stations located in different areas of Albania and dried after collection. The areal parts were used. The essential oil was obtained using a Clevenger-type apparatus. Its chemical composition was analyzed via Gas Chromatographic Flame Ionization (GC-FID) , and compound identification was conducted based on a comparison of Kovats indices and data from the literature. Nineteen main compounds were identified, constituting 86.4 – 98.9% of the total identified compounds.

Results

The essential oils were characterized by a high concentration of the phenolic monoterpenes Thymol and Carvacrol. The distribution of identified compounds was dependent on the geographic areas. In general, the distribution was as follows Carvacrol (67.6%) > para-Cymene (8.4%) > Thymol (4.3%) > gamma-Terpinene (2.5%) > beta-Cariophyllene (2.4%) > Limonene (1.2%) Linalool (1.1%) > alpha-Terpinene (1.0%). The chemical profile of Origanum vulgare samples was, overall, as expected, due the minor compounds indentified that contributed to its specificity; these findings agree in part with data reported for the Balkan and Mediterranean areas.

Conclusions

The differences observed in the composition could have been related to the geology and composition of the soil and atmospheric conditions, e.g., humidity, air temperature, sunny hours, altitude, etc. The harvesting period and drying process may also have influenced the results (in this study, samples were collected in June) and may explain the differences observed in the composition of the minor constituent among the samples analyzed.