IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS
Year:2002 | Volume:- | Issue:12|Papers Count:7

Ozone layer depletion has increased ultraviolet-B radiation influence. As this radiation has harmful effects on plants, this research studies the essential oils quality and quantity changes of Fennel all affected by high ultraviolet radiation emanated form a 40-watt lamp in the field conditions in three phases: before flowering, flowering and after the formation of seed.Fennel is one of the precious medicinal plants widely used in pharmacy, purfurm, cometic and hygienic industries as well as food industries. The seeds or fruits of this plant have so much essential oils that medicinal properties of the plant are attributed tothis essential oils.The water and steam distilled (Long & Kaiser) essential oils of seeds, flowers, leaves and stems of Fennel in different vegetative phases were analyzed by GC and GC/MS.The amount of essential oils in leaf, stem, flower and seeds has been decreased in the most of phases and essential oils' components changed under ultraviolet radiations. The amount of Trans-anthole, which is the most important compound of this essential oil, has been decreased in the seed and flower of under treatment plants but this compound has been increased in the stem in spite of less amount of essential oils in this organg, this compound has been decreased in leaf before flowering phase but increased in flowering period. The other main compounds, Estragol, Fenchon and Limonene have been increased, in most cases. This results indicates this plants is very sensitive to ultraviolet radiations.

The genus of Thymus presents 14 species in Iran, some of them are endemic (1). In this project some of the endemic and non-endemic Thymus species, named: T.pubescens Boiss. et Kotschy ex Celak, T. carnosus Boiss, T. kotschyanus Boiss and Hohen, T. persicus (Ronniger ex Rech. F) Jalas and T. serpyllum L. were collected from different regions at before flowering and full flowering stage. The air-dried aerial parts of these species were steam distilled for obtaning their essential oils. The oil yields are as follow respectively: at before flowering (0.66%,0.28%,0.26%,0.55% and 0.57%) and at full flowering stage (0.86%,2.1 %,0.43%, 1.45%and 0.90%).Totally the oil yields were lower for theses Thymus species before flowering. The highest oil yields were obtained from T. kotschyanus and T. pubescens.Analysis and identification of chemical composition of the oils were performed by GC and GC/MS.Thirty-seven components (representing 93.1%-98.3% of the oils) at before flowering stage and thirty-nine components (representing 88.2%- 99.3% of the oils) at full flowering stage were identified.The main components of the oils were as follow, before and full flowering stage, respectively:T. carnosus, thymol (27.2% and 36.1%), g-terpinene (19.6% and 19.1%), p-cymene (26.2% and 21.3%), b-caryophyllene(2.5% and 2.8%), carvacrol (2.2% and 2.5%) and borneol (1.6% and 1.6%).T. kotschyanus carvacrol (40.7% and 41.4%), thymol (26.9% and 19.5%), g-terpinene (7.3% and 10.3%), p-cymene (3.9% and 5.3%), b- caryophyllene (1.8% and 2.5%) and borneol (1.3% and 2.4%)T. persicus (39.0% and 27.1%), thymol (6.5% and 11.9%), g-terpinene (6.1% and 6.5%), p-cymene (7.5% and 10.2%), b-caryophyllene (2.0% and 3.0%) and borneol (1.6% and 2.9%).T. pubescens carvacrol (64.8% and 48.8%), thymol (11.9% and 13.9%), g-terpinene (6.1% and trace), p-cymene (2.9% and 12.7%), b-caryophyllene (1.5% and 1.3%) and borneol (0.7% and 3.8%).T. serpyllum, thymol (18.7% and 18.7%), g-terpinene (21.9% and 22.7%), p-cymene (21.1% and 20.7%), b-caryophyllene(7.1% and 0.1%) and borneol (3.9% and 3.1%).Geraniol (15.7% and 9.4%), Geranyl acetate (5.3% and 5.3%) and a terpineol (0 and 9.5%) were found just in T. persicus oil before and full flowering stage, respectively. Germacrene D was also found in T. serpyllum oil (6.0% and 5.1%).

Fresh Aerial parts of Salvia atropatana Bunge were collected during their Flowering periods (Mai-june 1998)near shiraz.The essential oil isolated by steam distillation for 90 min was obtained in yield of 0.1% w/w. The chemical composition of the essential oil was extracted by steam distillation method and analysed by GC/MS.Twenty-nine components were characterized with b-Caryophyllene (16.3%), Sclareol (13.3%), Hexyl octanoate (12.2%), Bicyclogermacrene (10%) as the major constituents respectively.

According to result of the investigation the manna knows as Shekar Tighal is excretion of insect and obtained from the cocoon case of a beetle, larinus spp. This is found on the leaves and stalks of species of Echinops.The cocoon collected from the Echinops orientalis. E. cephalotes in the North east (Ozgol 1750 m), North west (Kohedashteh 1800 m), West (Qazvin 1000m), and South (Parandak 1600 m) in province of Tehran. Species of Larinus in this province is Larinus mellificus (coloptera), (curcu lionidae).Distribution in dry sandy places wast places in hills and mountains. Altitude of collection area between 1000-2000 m. There are species Echinops leiopolycoras, E. ritrodes and E. spp. In province of Tehran that some of them had no cocoon.The time for collection sep-oct.A decoction of Trehala was used to relieve respiratory ailments.

The genus of Thymus Presents 14 species, which are found wild in different regions of Iran (1). One of the more distributed of these species is Thymus pubescens (2).The aerial parts of Thymus pubescens were collected from three various localities of Lar valley (in East of Tehran province). Essential oils isolated by steam distillation from the plant material at two stages, before flowering (BF) and full flowering (FF). Yields of essential oils were 0.53% to 0.93% (at BF stage) and 1.23% to 2.03% (at FF stage). Therefore the oil content at BF stage was less than FF stage.At BF stage 26 compounds (representing 98% to 99.3% ofthe oils) and at FF stae 32 compounds (representing 97.7% to 98.5% of the oils) were characterized. Major constituents at BF stage were: carvacrol (52.6% - 77.9%), thymol (2.7%-21.8%), g-terpinene (3.3%-7.4%), p-cymene (2.2%- 4.4%), and b-caryophyllene (1.7%-2.5%). Major constituents at FF stage were: carvacrol (54.7% - 69.2%), p-cymene (6.7%-9.7%), borneol (1.7%- 5.1%), methyl carvacrol (0.6%-6.6%) and 1,8-cineol +limonene (1.7%- 3.2%).Twenty-three constituents were common at two stages. 8-cadinene, thymyl acetate and g-muurolene (E)-b-ocimenewere found just at BF stage and a-phellandrene, a-terpineole, terpinen-4-ol, spathunelol, camphor, linalool,methyl linalo, methylthymol, thymoquinoneand thymodihydroquinone were found just at FF stage.

In Iran National Botanical Garden, ripe seeds of 5 Fragrant and Medicinal plants (Campsis grandiflora (Thunb.) Schuman, Catalpa speciosa Warder, Cupressus sempervirens L. var. fastigiata, Melia azedarach L., Thuja orientalis L.) were collected in periods. They were put under pretreatment for consideration of suitable germination methods of seeds as follows.1- Phisical motive: Soaking the seeds for 1 to 24 hours, making a hole on the top of the seeds, scratching the cortex of the seeds.2- Chemical motive: sodium hypochloride, potassium nitrate, diluted and concentarated sulphoric acid. As a result the best method for germination of seeds were determined.This consideration shows the best times for collecting of seeds and the best pretreatment and treatment with high percentages in germination of seeds as well. The best pretreatment and treatment for Campsis grandiflora are: washing in sodium hypochloride and distilled water, 20:30oC temprature, 16h. light and 8h. darkness for 2 weaks, For Catalpa speciosa are: washing in sodium hypochloride and distilled water, 20:30oC temprature, 16h. light and 8h. darkness for 1 to 2 weaks, For Cupressus sempervirens var. fastigiata are: soaking in water for 24h., 5 .minutes in potassium nitrate and washing in distilled water, chiling (1-5oC) for 8 to 12 weaks, For Melia azedarach are: soaking in water for 24h., scratching the cortex of seeds, 10 minutes in diluted sulphoric acid and washing in distilled water, planting in sand and 20:30oC temprature for 1 weak, For Thuja orientalis are: soaking in water for 24h., washing in diluted sodium hypochloride and distilled water, 20oC temprature, 16h. light and 8h. darkness for 21 days.