Investigation of essential oil content and composition, and antioxidant properties of different ecotypes of Satureja bachtiarica Bunge

Omidpour, Behzad; Hatamnia, Ali Asghar; Mohammadkhani, Nayer

doi:10.22092/ijmapr.2025.368454.3516

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ M.Sc. student, Department of Biology, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran

² Department of Biology, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran

³ Shahid Bakeri High Education Center of Miandoab, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

10.22092/ijmapr.2025.368454.3516

Abstract

Background and Objective: Satureja bachtiarica belongs to the Lamiaceae family and contains valuable compounds such as thymol, p-cymene, and carvacrol. Sixteen aromatic plant species of the genus Satureja grow in Iran. In this study, different ecotypes of S. bachtiarica were collected from Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan, and West Azerbaijan provinces. Since ecological and environmental factors influence the quantity and quality of phytochemical compounds in aromatic plants, this research investigated and compared the phytochemical composition and antioxidant properties of S. bachtiarica essential oil across different habitats.
Methodology: Samples were collected during the flowering season from various habitats with distinct ecological conditions in the provinces of Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan, and West Azerbaijan. Dried plant powder was used for extraction and essential oil isolation. Total phenol, flavonoid content, total antioxidant capacity, and DPPH radical scavenging capacity were measured using spectrophotometric methods. Essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation, and both quantitative and qualitative analyses of the essential oil were conducted using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).
Results: The data showed that extracts of samples collected from Baneh and Gilan-e-Gharb had the highest and lowest phenolic content (4.648 and 2.034 mg gallic acid/g dry weight) and flavonoid content (0.164 and 0.090 mg quercetin/g dry weight), respectively. Likewise, the highest and lowest antioxidant activity were recorded in the Baneh (42.67%) and Gilan-e-Gharb (27.06%) samples, respectively. The strongest DPPH radical scavenging capacity (percentage inhibition) was observed in samples from Baneh (43.16%), while the weakest was found in samples from Gilan-e-Gharb (31.87%). A significant positive correlation (r > 0.9) at the 1% probability level was detected between total phenol content and both antioxidant capacity and DPPH radical scavenging capacity, as well as between antioxidant capacity and DPPH radical scavenging capacity. A significant positive correlation (r > 0.875) at the 1% probability level was also observed between total flavonoid content and both antioxidant capacity and DPPH radical scavenging capacity, in addition to a significant correlation between total phenol and total flavonoid content. The main constituents of S. bachtiarica essential oil included thymol, p-cymene, and gamma-terpinene, with their levels varying by region. Comparison of essential oil components in the studied habitats indicated that thymol (28.8-42.78%) was the dominant compound in four of the habitats, whereas p-cymene (35.2%) was the major constituent in the Miandoab habitat. Correlation analysis revealed a negative and significant relationship between thymol (the principal essential oil component) and total flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, and DPPH radical scavenging capacity. Although thymol also showed a negative correlation with total phenol content, this correlation was not significant. The highest and lowest essential oil yields were observed in samples collected from Miandoab (2.75%) and Baneh (0.87%), respectively.
Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that the principal components of S. bachtiarica essential oil collected from regions with varying ecological conditions include thymol, p-cymene, and gamma-terpinene, with their levels differing across habitats. Overall, essential oil yield and the quantitative and qualitative composition of essential oil constituents depend on ecological and environmental factors, which play a crucial role in shaping the phytochemical characteristics of aromatic plants.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Phytochemistry (extraction, identification and measurement of active components)

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Iranian Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research

Investigation of essential oil content and composition, and antioxidant properties of different ecotypes of Satureja bachtiarica Bunge

References

References

Volume 41, Issue 4 - Serial Number 126
December 2025
Pages 625-640

Investigation of essential oil content and composition, and antioxidant properties of different ecotypes of Satureja bachtiarica Bunge

References

References

Volume 41, Issue 4 - Serial Number 126December 2025Pages 625-640

Volume 41, Issue 4 - Serial Number 126
December 2025
Pages 625-640