ERJON MAMOÇI1, ELTON BASHA2*, SANIJE ZEJNELHOXHA1 , VILMA GURAZI1, ANISA PEÇULI2
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1Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania. 2Department of Agri-Food Technology, Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania. *Corresponding author; E-mail: ebasha@ubt.edu.al Abstract The present study evaluates the chemical composition of the essential oil of wild Satureja montana L. collected from Mali i Balgjajt, Burrel, Albania, at approximately 1000 m altitude. Aerial parts were harvested during the flowering stage and subjected to hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus. The essential oil was analyzed by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for qualitative and semi-quantitative characterization. Forty-seven compounds were identified, representing 83.18% of the total oil composition. The oil was dominated by oxygenated monoterpenes (41.18%) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (33.22%), while sesquiterpene fractions were present in lower amounts. The major constituents were thymol (15.8%), γ-terpinene (9.8%), p-cymene (8.6%), cis-sabinenehydrate (4.1%), and carvacrol (3.7%). The compositional profile indicates a thymol-dominant chemotype with moderate carvacrol content. Although the EO yield was relatively low (0.1% v/w), the high proportion of phenolic monoterpenes suggests strong antimicrobial and antioxidant potential. The results highlight the influence of ecological and geographic factors on chemotypic variability and contribute to the characterization of Albanian wild populations. These findings support the potential application of this essential oil in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and natural food preservation industries. Keywords: Satureja montana, essential oil, thymol, carvacrol, natural preservatives |
