Changes in Essential Oil Content and Composition of Salvia Limbata C.A. Mey at Different Growth Stages and Altitudes
Abstract BackgroundThe present study investigates the effect of growth stage (vegetative, flowering and seed ripening) and altitude (1500, 2000 and 2500 m above sea level) on the content and chemical composition of S. limbata essential oil which belongs to Lamiaceae family.ResultsAccording to the oil analysis, 28 components representing 96.5% to 99.7% of the total volatile oil composition were characterized. The main compounds of S. limbata oils were α-pinene (14.7-38.7%), β-pinene (12.5-26.2%), allo-aromadendrene (9.2-21.7%), germacrene D (4.2-8.3%), bicyclogermacrene (6.5-14.5 %), and spathulenol (7.5-25.4 %).DiscussionThe obtained results showed that the content and constituents of S. limbata essential oil strongly depend on the growth stage and altitude. Our findings revealed that the vegetative stage at 1500 m is the optimal harvest time to obtain the highest content of oil yield. Results of the current study helps to find the optimum situation to gain the highest content of S. limbata essential oil but more researches are needed.