Influence of different stabilizing operations and storage time on the composition of essential oil of thyme (Thymus officinalis L.) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.)

The effect of different stabilizing techniques on the composition of essential oil of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and thyme (Thymus officinalis L.) during one year of storage is reported. The study was aimed to know what is the stabilizing technique to keep at the best the original essential oil composition. The fresh samples were collected and treated as follows: air-dried in a laboratory scale pilot dryer, frozen in a forced-air freezer and freeze-dried in a laboratory freeze-dryer. The fresh sample served as control. The treated samples were packaged with appropriate packaging material and stored at 20 °C or -20 °C for 12 months. All the samples were hydrodistilled every three months and the oils composition was obtained by means of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Quantification of known compounds was done with the use of an internal standard. Freezing best maintained the composition of rosemary and thyme essential oil. Appropriate packaging of air-dried and freeze-dried herbs resulted in negligible quality loss up to one year of storage. The frozen and stored thyme samples showed the best retention of thymol, the most important compound, as well as of γ-terpinene and carvacrol. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.