THE CONSTITUENTS OF ESSENTIAL OILS OF FERULAGO ANGULATA (SCHLECHT.) BOISS AT TWO DIFFERENT HABITATS, NEVAKOH AND SHAHOO, ZAGROSS MOUNTAIN, WESTERN IRAN

Document Type : Research Note

Authors

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Razi, Kermanshah, I. R. of Iran, 67149

Abstract

Ferulago angulata (Apiaceae), a medicinal plant of western Asia, contains essential oils that are
used as a food preservative. This study examined and compared the composition of leaf oil with seed oil and
of the oils from two different habitats (one from Nevakov and the other from Shahoo). The oil yield from seed
was 5-fold that from leaves (3.2%/100g compared to 0.63%/100g). Cis-ocimene was the major constituent of
the seed oil from both regions (64.8% and 76.11%) and a prominent constituent (>20% of the total oil) of the
leaf oils of both habitats. α-Pinene was the next main component (7-27%) of all 4 oils. Seed oils, with one
major component (cis-ocimene), differed from the leaf oils, which were composed mostly of 3 components
(α-pinene, cis-ocimene, & germacrene D). Distinctions between the oils of the two habitats were less marked
than the leaf-oil/seed-oil differences; the cis-ocimene content was higher and α-pinene was less in both seedand
leaf-oils of the Shahoo habitats than the Nevakoh ecotype; trans-verbenol was absent from the Shahoo
leaves, but reached a content of 5.8% in Nevahoh leaf-oil. Further distinctions were found in the
content/presence/absence of 20-30 minor components of the oils.

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