Advances in analysis of phenolic compounds of salvia, thymus and lavandula plants

Salvia, Thymus and Lavandula are important genera belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Several species of these genera are widely used in culinary or in traditional medicine due to their claimed health-benefit properties. Notably, phenolic compounds are believed to be central constituents contributing for plant health properties and hence, they have been the focus of many investigations for the last decades. This chapter reviews the major and minor phenolic constituents found in Salvia, Thymus and Lavandula genera. Typically, plants of these genera are particular enriched in hydroxycinnamic acids, namely in distinct derivatives of caffeic. Moreover, they contain considerable amounts of flavones, which are mainly glycosidic forms of the flavonoids luteolin and apigenin. In turn, flavonols and flavanones are less abundant and/or widespread amongst Salvia, Thymus and Lavandula plants, although eriodictyol O-glycosidic derivatives can be frequently found in Thymus.