Comparative Phytochemical Study of Crop and Habitat Samples of Shirazi Thyme Medicinal Plant (Zataria Multiflora Boiss.(.

Document Type : Original Article

10.22124/nrhs.2024.7772

Abstract

Shirazi thyme is one of Iran's most consumed and exported medicinal plants. Studies have shown that the plant has the effects of increasing immunity, pain relief, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, disinfectant, and antifungal. The high price, high sales, and indiscriminate and unprincipled harvesting of this plant from the southern pastures of Iran have endangered the survival of this valuable plant, therefore the cultivation of this plant has been put on the agenda. In this regard, the aim of the present research is to compare the quantity and quality of the essential oil of the ecological and agricultural samples of this species. Extraction of essential oils from the collected agricultural and pasture samples was done by water distillation with the help of a Celevenger device, and gas chromatography (GC/Mas) devices were used to identify essential oil compounds. In the essential oil of Zataria Multiflora Boiss. 40 compounds were identified in the crop sample and 32 compounds were identified in the sample collected from the pasture habitat. The yield percentage of essential oil in the planted sample is three and one-tenth percent and the most chemical compounds in it include linalool (54.33 percent), carvacrol (24.83 percent), and thymol (2.48 percent). In the essential oil of the pasture sample, the yield of essential oil is 1.71%, and the most important compounds of essential oil are thymol (51.20%), carvacrol (20.08%), paracimen (7.74%), and gamma-terpinene (7.25%). The comparison of two essential oils showed that Linalool and Carvacrol were the most compounds in the planted sample and Thymol and Carvacrol were the most compounds in the growing sample. Considering the economic importance of the Shirazi thyme plant, the high amount of thyme essential oil of the Shirazi cultivated sample compared to the pasture sample, also due to the high-value compounds of carvacrol and linalool in the cultivated sample, in order to survive and prevent the risk of extinction This valuable plant, it is suggested that the process of domesticating this species and introducing it to agricultural and pasture systems should be prioritized.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 27 May 2024