Metabolite Profiles of Thymus longedentatus from Natural and Cultivated Areas

Thymus longedentatus (Degen & Urum.) Ronniger is a Balkan endemic species valued for its essential oils and phenolic compounds, yet little is known about its phytochemistry under cultivation. This study compared the metabolite profiles of wild populations from the Eastern Rhodopes (ER) and Thracian Lowland (TL) with a cultivated population near Sofia (CA). Hydrodistillation yielded 0.2% essential oil (EO) in wild plants and 0.3% in cultivated plants. GC–MS analysis revealed citral isomers (neral and geranial) as dominant constituents, exceeding 60% in cultivated samples. Methanolic extracts and acetone exudates contained rosmarinic acid and triterpene acids consistently across all populations. Quantitative differences were observed in stress-related metabolites: arbutin and hydroquinone were enriched in wild plants, while chlorogenic and geranic acids were higher in cultivated plants. These findings demonstrate that cultivation preserves the main phytochemical profile of T. longedentatus while modulating the abundance of specific compounds, offering potential for sustainable utilization and conservation.