Chemotaxonomy of six Salvia species using essential oil composition markers

Abstract

Chemotaxonomy of six Salvia L. species in Iran has been controversial. The group includes the taxa Salvia atropatana Bunge., Salvia oligophylla Auch. ex Benth., Salvia aethiopis L., Salvia sclarea L., Salvia reuterana Boiss., Salvia macrosiphon Boiss., of which Salviareuterana and Salvia oligophylla are endemic to Iran. The essential oils obtained from aerial parts of species were analyzed by using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography- mass spectrum (GC-MS). Two hundred and seventy components were analyzed and cluster analysis of oil components was done by average linkage. The results showed that S. oligophlla and S. aethiopis separated, due to its high amount of occidentotal,iso- Longifolene, β- Acoradiene, in S. oligophylla. Similarity in essential oil composition of the S. aethiopis and S. sclarea grouped them to one sub cluster. Also, a comparison of these results with previous works on Salvia species revealed that the major constituents of these taxa are different. Evidence from volatile oil compounds may have contributed to environmental factors such as available water and other climatic factors. Key words: Salvia, volatile constituent, chemotaxonomy, Lamiaceae, Iran.