Chemical composition, olfactory analysis and antibacterial activity of Thymus vulgaris chemotypes geraniol, 4-thujanol/terpinen-4-ol, thymol and linalool cultivated in southern France.

The essential oils of four chemotypes of Thymus vulgaris L. (Lamiaceae) were analyzed for their composition and antibacterial activity to assess their different properties. GC-MS and GC-FID analyses revealed that the essentials oils can be classified into the chemotypes thymol (41.0% thymol), geraniol (26.4% geraniol), linalool (72.5% linalool) and 4-thujanol/terpinen-4-ol (42.2% cis- and 7.3% trans-sabinene hydrate, 6.5 % terpinen-4-ol). The olfactory examination confirmed the explicit differences between these chemotypes. Furthermore, antibacterial activity was investigated against several strains of two Gram-positive (Brochothrix thermosphacta and Staphylococcus aureus) and four Gram-negative food-borne bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella abony, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and P. fragi). All essential oil samples were demonstrated to be highly effective against Gram-positive strains, whereas the impact on Gram-negative microorganisms was significantly smaller, but still considerable. The results obtained indicate that, despite their different properties, the essential oils of selected T. vulgaris chemotypes are potent antimicrobials to be employed as useful additives in food products as well as for therapeutic applications.