The characterization of the essential oil profile together with the sensory analysis of five samples of oregano, four of which cultivated in different areas of Sicily and one of commercial origin, have been carried out. The essential oils, obtained by hydrodistillation, have been analyzed by GC-FID-MS. On the whole, 53 compounds representing more than 98% of the oils have been fully characterized. The four cultivated samples showed a very similar chemical profile, being thymol and ?-terpinene the main compounds followed by p-cymene, ?-terpinene, carvacrol and thymol methyl ethers, myrcene and carvacrol. The commercial sample, instead, showed a different profile, carvacrol largely being the main component (>77%), followed by p-cymene, ?-terpinene and thymol, in that order. The aforesaid chemical profiles confirm that the Sicilian cultivated samples as belonging to Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum (syn. O. heracleoticum), thymol-chemotype, the most typical Sicilian oregano species. According to the chemical composition the sensory profile of the Sicilian oregano samples resulted quite homogenous, whereas different results were obtained for the commercial sample. In fact, the intensity of sensory attributes "typical oregano flavour" and off-flavour are similar for the four cultivated samples, instead the commercial sample shows less freshness and a lower typical oregano flavour, associated with an higher level of off flavour.
Emerging cultivation of oregano in Sicily: Sensory evaluation of plants and chemical composition of essential oils
Napoli EM;
2012
Abstract
The characterization of the essential oil profile together with the sensory analysis of five samples of oregano, four of which cultivated in different areas of Sicily and one of commercial origin, have been carried out. The essential oils, obtained by hydrodistillation, have been analyzed by GC-FID-MS. On the whole, 53 compounds representing more than 98% of the oils have been fully characterized. The four cultivated samples showed a very similar chemical profile, being thymol and ?-terpinene the main compounds followed by p-cymene, ?-terpinene, carvacrol and thymol methyl ethers, myrcene and carvacrol. The commercial sample, instead, showed a different profile, carvacrol largely being the main component (>77%), followed by p-cymene, ?-terpinene and thymol, in that order. The aforesaid chemical profiles confirm that the Sicilian cultivated samples as belonging to Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum (syn. O. heracleoticum), thymol-chemotype, the most typical Sicilian oregano species. According to the chemical composition the sensory profile of the Sicilian oregano samples resulted quite homogenous, whereas different results were obtained for the commercial sample. In fact, the intensity of sensory attributes "typical oregano flavour" and off-flavour are similar for the four cultivated samples, instead the commercial sample shows less freshness and a lower typical oregano flavour, associated with an higher level of off flavour.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
