Study the polyphenolic compounds composition of Thymus vulgaris L. herb

Abstract

The Thymus L. genus is extremely widespread on the territory of Ukraine and includes up to 50 main species. Extracts from the official species of the Thymus L. genus are part of effective herbal preparations with pronounced anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. A promising direction of modern phytochemical research is the determination of the accumulation of biologically active polyphenolic compounds in the Thymus vulgaris L. herb, which is widely cultivated in Ukraine and other countries. The aim of the work is to determine the accumulation of polyphenolic compounds in Thymus vulgaris L. herb at the end of flowering using TLC and HPLC methods. Materials and methods. For experimental studies, alcohol extracts from Thymus vulgaris L. herb (1:100) were used. The plants were cultivated in Volodymyrivka, Zaporizhzhia region during the period of maximum polyphenolic compounds accumulation (June – August 2022). The substances’ component composition was studied by TLC method Biostep CD 60 densitometer (Germany) and HPLC Agilent 1260 Infinity HPLC System Open LABCDS Software (Japan). Results. TLC and HPLC methods revealed up to 29 polyphenolic compounds. Experimentally determined flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids are known in phytotherapy for their pronounced anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities. Conclusions. Considering the results obtained by TLC and HPLC methods, it can be concluded that Thymus vulgaris L. is a promising species for further phytochemical research.