Determination and analysis of volatile components from Thymus kotschyanus Boiss with a new solid-phase microextraction fibre and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation by periodic mesoporous organosilica based on alkylimidazolium ionic liquid.

INTRODUCTION: Research on the volatile oil composition of Thymus kotschyanus Boiss was conducted by applying mesoporous organosilica based on alkylimidazolium ionic liquid (PMO-IL) as a fibre coating material via a method referred to as microwave-assisted headspace solid-phase microextraction (MA-HS-SPME).

METHODOLOGY: This technique entails microwave irradiation of the sample and collection of the volatile sample components. These components are further introduced into a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) injection port for further analysis. A simplex method was used for the optimisation of three different parameters affecting the efficiency of the extraction.

CONCLUSION: The MA-HS-SPME method proved to be the most suitable technique in oil determination and extraction from Thymus kotschyanus owing to its advantageous aspects of cost effectiveness, simplicity and solvent independence.