Chemical Composition of the Essential Oils from Foliages and Seeds of Ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague) in two planting dates (spring and summer)

Abstract

The seeds (at ripening) and foliage (before flowering) of ajowan were collected from field in Esfahan province (central region of Iran) where two planting dates (spring and summer) were conducted. In the spring planting date, fourteen and eleven components were identified in the seed and foliage oils of ajowan, respectively with thymol 44.5 % in seed and 20 % in foliage as main constituent. Other components in seed and foliage oils were: γ-terpinene (26.6 % and 21 %), p-cymene (21.6 % and 10.8 %), limonene (1.1 % and 0.3 %) and carvacrol (0.3 % and 3.6 %). Sum of these components were 94.2 % and 55.7 % in the seed and foliage oils, respectively. In the summer planting date, twelve and eleven components were identified in seed and foliage oils, respectively and the most important constituents were: Thymol (55.5 % and 56.2 %), γ-terpinene (22.5 % and 26.9 %), p-cymene (14.2 % and 11.2 %), limonene (1.9 % and 0.5 %) and carvacrol (0.3 % and 1.4 %), respectively. Sum of these components were 94.4 % and 96.2 % in the seed and foliage oils, respectively.