Ecophytochemistry journal of Medicinal Plants
Year:2013 | Volume:1 | Issue:1 (1)|Papers Count:7

Pimpinella aurea DC. is one of the most abundant aromatic species of Pimpinella in Iran, which has grown in north west, west, north east and south east of Iran. In order to study essential oil quantity and quality of different parts and growth stages. Plant parts were collected from three natural habitats in Tehran Province (Vardavard, Tochal and Lavasanat) and dried. The essential oils were extracted with water distillation method. GC and GC/MS were used for detection of oil composition and determining component quantity. Results showed that the oil yields of stem/leaf were the lowest and seeds oil were the highest amount in three habitats. The seed oil yield of Vardavard sample was higher than the other samples. The main compounds of stem/leaf oil in Vardavard were citronellyl acetate and geranyl acetate in three stages of plant growth (vegetative, beginning of seed formation, seeding). The major components of stem/leaf oil of Tochal sample in the beginning of seed formation were b-bisabolene, limonene, geranyl acetate, longipinanole and citronellyl acetate, while the main compound of stem/inflorescence oil was b-bisabolene. The main components of stem/leaf oil in complete seeding in Tochal region were b-bisabolene, limonene and a-pinene. The stem/leaf oil of Lavasanat sample contained a-cuperene, germacrene- D and limonene as main components. The major compounds of seed oils of three habitats were b-bisabolene and epoxy-allo aromadendrene.

Thymus L. belonging to Lamiaceae family and consist over 215 different species throughout the world. Fourteen species grow naturally in Iran of which four species are endemic. Different species of Thymus are used in food, health, cosmetic and medical industry. In order to selection and introduction of the best accession of Thymus species, an experiment was carried out during 2007 up to 2011. Nine accessions of Thymus were received from seed bank of natural resources of Iran. Seeds were sowed in Jiffi pot and then in greenhouse. Transplants were transferred to the field with one meter within and between rows with drip irrigation system. Plant establishment, large and small diameters and canopy area, plant height, phenological stage, shoot dry weight, oil percent and. were recorded. Results showed that the most establishment percent was observed at sample 38 with 96% rate. The most cover percent in the sample was observed at sample no. 68 by 4794 centimeters. Flowering after growth and germination was recorded and data showed that samples no. 49 and 62 reached 50% flowering and full flowering earlier than the other samples. The highest oil production was observed in samples no. 68 and 38 with 7.53 and 7.35 kg/ha in 2010, respectively, and in samples no. 38 and 60 with 44.12 and 23.48 kg/ha in 2011, respectively. In general, accession no.38, 68 and 60 were selected and recommended.

In order to evaluate quantitative and qualitative of Thymus fedtschenkoi and Thymus daenensis essential oil an experiment was conducted in Kurdistan habitats in 2010-2011. The aerial parts of plants were harvested in fall blooming and dried at room conditions. Essential oils extracted by water distillation using Clevenger system. Chemical components were performed and analysis by Gas Chromatography (GC) and gas chromatograph connected to a mass spectrometer (GC/MS) Devices. Results showed that essential oils have more than 20 chemical component. Essential oils yield of Thymus fedtschenkoi was 1.31 percent and thymol (62.15%), P-cymene (12.03%), gamma - terpinene (6.45%) and carvacrol (4.82%) were the most constituents, while Thymus daenensis yeield oil was 2.53% with major constituents which included thymol (70.59%), gamma-terpinene (8.78%), P-cymene (6.11%) and carvacrol (3.43%).

Drying is one of the basic processes in post-harvest operation of medicinal plants that it affects their quantitative and qualitative characteristics. In order to study the drying time, percentage and content of most important component for some of the important medicinal plants such as Thymus vulgaris L., Matricaria chamomila, Melisa officinalis, Artemisia dracunculus and Mentha piperita, a laboratory experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with four replications at the Laboratory of Agricultural College, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during year of 2012. Treatments were three temperatures by using oven (30, 40 and 60oC), three powers by using microwave (100, 300 and 600w) and natural procedures (shaded and sunny areas). Drying process was continued until the moisture content of sample weight declined to 0.10 or 10% based on dry or fresh weights, respectively. The results showed that the effect of different drying methods was significant (p£0.01) on drying time, essential oil content and amount of important component for these species. The highest drying time and essential oil content were observed in shaded area. Drying in shaded area enhanced amount of important component up to 100% compared to sunny area. By increasing in oven temperature and microwave power declined essential oil content and amount of important component for these species. It seems that increasing in drying rate and declining in input energy prevent from decreasing in essential oil yield, so low power of microwave is a suitable procedure for medicinal plant drying due to relatively rapid decrease in moisture content.

Artemisia dracunculus L. is perennial aromatic herb (Asteraceae), which has been used in ancient as anti convulsants, appetizer, stomach tonic, diuretic, carminative and expel worm. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance and quality of the oils tested were collected from the research station Alborz around Karaj and essential oils extracted with three different methods of distillation (steam distillation, Hydro distillation and Hydro-steam distillation). Oil percentage for Hydro-distillation were (0.48%), Hydro-steam distillation (0.51%) and for steam distillation (0.54%) obtained. Statistical analysis using Spsss of tware showed that most of the oil is obtained by hydro -steam distillation. Then the samples were identify for their compounds with gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography connected to a mass spectrometer (GC/MS) apparatus was identified. The major constituents in hydro distillation method contain in gmethyl chavicol (74.3%), trans- b- ocimene (9.6%), in hydro-steam distillation method major components were methyl chavicol (77%), trans- b- ocimene (8.3%) and in steam distillation method were methyl chavicol (66.1%), trans- b- ocimene12.1% obtained. Best method of distillation were hydro-steam distillation with high levels of methyl chavicol (77%).

In this study aerial parts of Achillea millefolium subsp. millefolium in bloomingwere, collected on summer 1390 from Research station of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands in Alborz Province. Essential oils were extracted by, hydro-distillation and microwave apparatus methods. Oils yields were 0.4% in hydro-distillation and 0.2% in microwave methods, which reason for low efficiency of essential oil was condition of time. Essential oils composition were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography connected to a mass spectrometer (GC/MS). In hydro-distillation, the major compositions were g-terpinene 18.2%, elemol acetate 12.9%, caryophyllene acetate 12.2% and bornyl acetate 10%, respectively, but in Microwave method 1-terpineol 17.6%, a- bisabolol oxide A 10.6%, trans-thujone 7.3% and terpin-4-ol 7.1% were the major constituents, respectively. The results of the two methods has shown a lot of changes in quantitative and qualitative by Microwave apparatus.

The aim of this study is to find the ecological requirements, phenology, ethnopharmacology and antioxidant activity of Achillea millefolium in Charbagh Mountain (2250m) in South east of Golestan province (North of Iran). The current research was accomplished to find out the ecological needs of some main habitats of Achillea millefolium L., ecological equipment, phenology, biological spectrum, corology and ethnopharmacological datas of medicinal plants were obtained. approximately 51 medicine species were identified and listed, which are aboundant to Liliaceae, Fabaceae, Apiaceae respectively, in which 47% of geophytes, 29% therophytes and 10% hemicryptophytes belongs to 59% Irano turanian and 21% Euroupa Siberian species. The results showed that A.millefolium L. prefers to the areas with precipitation of 339mm in semi dry-cold mediterranean climate, which prefers pH 7.8, Ec 0.34, in none saline and Sandy-silty clay soils in north and north west aspects and 900-2250 meters of altitude. Additionally, aerial parts of plant were collected in August 2011, dried and the antioxidant activity of methanolic extract were determined by spectrophotometry method with DPPH test and were obtained with IC50 189mg/ml. Phenological phenomena starts in late of March, flowering time in late of June and continues until the end of September, fruit ripe and seed dispersal in mid of September and then fall. Ethnopharmacological results showed that this plant has been used by rural people as anti septic, anti inflammation, stop bleeding, anti spasm, sedative and healing wounds. Therefore due to traditional uses of A. millefolium in this region and its antioxidant activity, can be used as antipathogene and natural anti oxidant in future research.