Characterization of the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris by supercritical fluid extraction

The present work aimed to study the chemical composition of the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris (thyme) using different extraction techniques. The extraction technique used was supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and the identification of the components was performed using GC-MS. Some variables that may influence the extraction process, such as pressure and extraction time were investigated for SFE. The extraction method proved to be efficient to identify the main components present in thyme. The major components in all the techniques used were monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The extraction using supercritical CO2 extracted 33 compounds in a short time (60 min). In addition, extracts obtained by CO2 high pressure are free of solvent, which increases the purity/quality of the oil.