Effect of solution conductivity on the volatile constituents of Origanum dictamnus L. in nutrient film culture

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from leaves and bracts of hydroponically cultivated Origanum dictamnus L. (Cretan dittany), growing under various electrical conductivity (EC) levels (2.0, 4.0, and 6.0 mS/cm), was studied, using the nutrient film technique (NFT). The analysis of the essential oil content was achieved by GC-MS technique, and totals of 41 and 38 different compounds were identified in both cases of large-leaved and narrow-leaved samples of leaves and bracts, respectively. Differences in the composition content and of the percentage of each of the constituents in the two studied samples (i.e., large-leaved and narrow-leaved) and within the essential oils of leaves and bracts in both samples were observed. Carvacrol and p-cymene were identified as the main constituents in all essential oils, whereas thymoquinone was found in higher percentage in the essential oils of large-leaved than in narrow-leaved plants. The results obtained from GC-MS analysis were submitted to chemometric analysis, and a phenotypic similarity of the essential oils of narrow-leaved O. dictamnus was observed, whereas the essential oils of large-leaved O. dictamnus showed two separate subgroups.