Effect of Different Harvest Times on Some Quality Characteristics of Cultivated Sahlep orchid Serapias vomeracea (Burm.fill.) Brig.

Abstract

orchids are used as medicinal plants in Turkey to cure diarrheal, ulcers and respiratory ailments. Also, the main ingredient of traditional Turkish ice cream and sahlep drinks is obtained from the tubers of wild orchids. It is reported that sahlep is obtained from 38 different orchid plants belong to 10 different genera in Turkey. is not have standard chemical composition due to obtaining from different species of Orchidaceae in different regions. Also, the sahlep chemical composition shows a fairly large change depending on the period that collected. In order to protect the Orchidaceae species in Turkey, Sahlep export has prohibited since 1974. Although there was a ban on exports, still millions of tubers are removed from nature every year and exported to many countries, especially European countries. Continuously collected tubers do not have any chance the produce new seeds and even if it produces seeds, these seeds have some difficulties to germinate. Due to there is intense collection of some species of sahlep orchids from nature, necessary measures must be taken to prevent it without delay. The aim of this study investigates the effect of different harvest times on some quality characteristics of Serapias vomerace (Burm. fill.) Brig. species which one of the most collected species in the Aegean region. In this study, starch ratio (%), mucilage ratio (%), protein ratio (%), moisture ratio (%), dry matter ratio (%) and ash ratio (%) was investigated. According to the harvest time, mucilage ratio was found between 16-23%.