Phytochemical profile of essential oils extracted from Thymus kotschyanus Boiss. & Hohen. populations growing in Kurdistan province and its correlation with climatic and soil characteristics

Zandi Baghche Maryam, Pouya; Khorshidi, Jalal; Shayganfar, Alireza

doi:10.22059/ijhs.2025.389476.2249

Phytochemical profile of essential oils extracted from Thymus kotschyanus Boiss. & Hohen. populations growing in Kurdistan province and its correlation with climatic and soil characteristics

Articles in Press

Document Type : Full Paper

Authors

Pouya Zandi Baghche Maryam ¹

jalal khorshidi ²

Alireza Shayganfar ³

¹ Department of Horticultural Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

² Department of Horticultural Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

³ Department of Horticultural Science and Landscape Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran.

10.22059/ijhs.2025.389476.2249

Abstract

The first step in the domestication of a medicinal plant is the phytochemical evaluation of its populations in their natural habitat. Thymus kotschyanus Boiss. & Hohen. is a medicinal species from the Lamiaceae family that is in high demand due to its numerous applications in traditional medicine and its use as a spice in cooking. In this study, seven populations of this species growing in Kurdistan province (Saheb, Tilako, Zarrineh, Rashid Abad, Tazehabad-e Bozon Qaran, Abidar, and Arez) were evaluated for their essential oil content and composition, as well as the relationship between their phytochemical profiles and habitat conditions. Essential oils were extracted by hydro-distillation method with a Clevenger apparatus for 3 hours and analyzed with GC-MS and GC-FID devices. The essential oil content of the populations ranged from 0.7% v/w (Rashid Abad) to 2.64% v/w (Tazehabad-e Bozon Qaran). The number and type of essential oil compounds, as well as the dominant components, varied among the populations. The principal component analysis identified five components that explained 96.75% of the total variance among the populations. The distance between populations in the cluster based on phytochemical profile was not in accordance with their geographical distance. No significant correlation was observed between essential oil content and habitat conditions. However, significant correlations were found between certain essential oil compounds and habitat conditions. Tazehabad-e Bozon Qaran and Abidar populations were superior in terms of essential oil content. Nonetheless, based on essential oil constituents, the superior population varied depending on the target compounds.

Keywords

Domestication

Essential oil content

Principle component analysis

Superior population

Subjects