Essential oil composition in cultivated accessions of Satureja sahendica Bornm. From Yazd province

The Satureja was consist of 14 annual and perennial species in Iran, which Satureja sahendica is one of the endemic species in Iran. This research was carried out to investigate quality and quantity of essential oil in satureja sahendica accessions. Seeds of eight Satureja sahendica accessions were collected from greenhouse in medicinal research farm of Yazd Agricultural and Natural Resources and Education Center. Seedlings were planted in field using a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2010. Samples were harvested at 50% flowering stage during four years. Essential oils were extracted from dried samples by Clevenger apparatus and the oil compounds were analyzed by GC/MS. The results were showed significant differences between accessions for essential oil percentage at 5% level and the thymol and e-caryophylen at 1% level. Cluster analysis were showed two chemotype groups rich for thymol and carvacrol (SS6, SS5,SS4, SS3, SS2, SS1) and rich for para-cymen and γ -terpinene (SS7 and SS8). Regarding to essential oil yield per hectare and essential oil quality, in SS3 accessions from East Azarbayjan province with mean of essential oil (2.13%),oil yield (14.52 Kg/ha) which had carvacrol (%13.57) and thymol (%41.23) , according to SS2 accessions from Kordestan province with mean of essential oil (2.96%),oil yield (13.49 Kg/ha) had carvacrol (%2.78) and thymol (%37.62), both of them were selected as the superior accessions.