TRACE-ELEMENTS AND ESSENTIAL OIL COMPOSITION IN CHEMOTYPES OF THE AROMATIC PLANT ORIGANUM VULGARE

Trace elements, essential oil yield and its percentage composition wer e determined by neutron activation analysis, hydrodistillation and gas chromatography in two chemotypes of Origanum vulgare L. cultivated in the same field. Statistical tests such as analysis of variance, corre lation coefficient, t-test, and multiple correlation were applied. The results showed that the samples contain the highest recorded oil yiel d for aromatic plants. Also, there is a statistically significant diff erence between the chemotypes of the plant not only in the predominant compound but in a number of other components. Iron, chromium and scan dium showed a negative significant correlation with carvacrol and a po sitive one with thymol. Europium shows characteristic correlations wit h chromium, cobalt, iron and scandium within each chemotype of the pla nt. These correlations could make probable a role of this element in t he biosynthesis of the predominant compounds.