Abstract.
The effects of the extraction procedure on the sensory and chemical evaluation of Thymus zygis L. aromatic extracts obtained by hydro distillation and compressed CO2 extraction were studied. Compressed CO2 extractions were performed at a temperature of 313 K and 10 and 15 MPa of pressure for 60 min. Aromatic extracts were analysed by GC and GC-MS. Sensorial analysis of the aromatic extracts incorporated into a sunflower oil was carried out by a panel of 20 trained members. The main compounds of Thymus zygis essential oil obtained by Clevenger distillation are: p-cymene (13.6%), thymol (23.8%), geraniol (18.2%), and geranyl acetate (16.3%). The compositions of supercritical extracts are quite different. The detection threshold of Thymus zygis essential oil was 0.001 mg/kg sunflower oil. The preferred level of essential oil incorporation was 0.02 mg/kg sunflower oil (P<0.05). Sensorial attributes were correlated with chemical compositions and it can be concluded that extracts with higher levels of phenols and geranyl acetate were preferred.
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Revised version: 9 October 2001
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Moldão-Martins, M., Bernardo-Gil, G.M. & da Costa, L.M. Sensory and chemical evaluation of Thymus zygis L. essential oil and compressed CO2 extracts. Eur Food Res Technol 214, 207–211 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-001-0451-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-001-0451-4