Identification of essential oil components of Satureja sahendica Bornm. in cultivated condition in Qazvin

Background: Satureja sahandica is a perennial plant of the family Lamiaceae and an aromatic plant of Iran flora with its essential oil components used in culinary, medicinal, and perfume industries. Objective: to identify components of S. sahandica planted in Qazvin condition. Methods: Aerial parts of S. sahandica were collected from a research farm (Qazvin Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center) at flowering stage in 2007. The plant materials were subjected to hydro-distillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus for 3 h to produce essential oil and followed by GC and GC/MS for determination of chemical compositions. Findings: S. sahandica in cultivated condition gave oils with a yield of 2.12% on dry weight basis. Thirteen components were identified. The main constituents of the essential oil were thymol (38.3%), γ-terpinene (30.9%), and p-cymene (21.3%). Essential oil of this plant in cultivated condition produced trace amounts of carvacrol. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the essential oil is rich in monoterpene phenols. Thymol, γ- Terpinene, and p-Cymene were found to be the main components of the essential oil.