Ecological and Biological Properties of Satureja cuneifolia Ten. and Thymus spinulosus Ten.: Two Wild Officinal Species of Conservation Concern in Apulia (Italy). A Preliminary Survey

This study evaluated the effects of ecology (plant community, topography and pedology),as well as of climate, on the composition of essential oils (EOs) from two officinal wild plant species(Lamiales) from Apulia, namely Satureja cuneifolia Ten. and Thymus spinulosus Ten. Few scientific dataon their chemical composition are available, due to the fact that the first has a limited distributionrange and the second is endemic of southern Italy. Results for both species, never officially used intraditional medicine and/or as spices, showed that the ecological context (from a phytosociologicaland ecological point of view) may influence their EO composition, and hence, yield chemotypesdifferent from those reported in the literature. S. cuneifolia and Th. spinulosus can be consideredgood sources of phytochemicals as natural agents in organic agriculture due to the presence ofthymol and a-pinene. Overall, the obtained trend for EOs suggests a potential use of both speciesas food, pharmacy, cosmetics and perfumery. Hence, their cultivation and use represent a positivestep to reduce the use of synthetic chemicals and to meet the increasing demand for natural andhealthier products.