Chemical Constituents of the Essential Oil of Salvia Persepolitana Boiss. Obtained by Steam Distillation

Salvia is a fascinating plant genus and one of the wide spread members of the Labiatae family, which comprises about 900 herbs and shrubs, growing in the temperate and warmer zone of the world. Fifty eight are described in the flora of Iran, among which 17 are endemic [1]. Some of these species feature prominently in the pharmacopoeias of many countries through out the world [2]. The volatile oils of Salvia are chemically complex mixture, often containing in excess of 100 individual components. They have low boiling points and can be recovered from the plant tissues by steam or hydrodistillation, In addition to flovoring foods, volatile oils can also act as anti-oxidants and preservatives against food spoilage, while a broad range of applications in aromatherapy and health care has been observed. Previously we studied the essential oil of S.brachysiphon which contained β-caryophyllene (28.1%), α-pinene (20.6%), limonene (11.5%) and β- pinene (10.6%) was found to be the major constituents [3]. The leaves and steams of S.persepolitana, which is endemic to Iran, growing wild in Ilam, in July 2015. The oil obtained by steam distillation and analysed by GC and GC/MS.Thirty five components representing 84.4% of steam distillation oil from leaves and steams of S. persepolitana were identified.The main compounds of the oil were 6, 10, 14-trimethyl 2-pentadecanone (20.7%) and spathulenol (13.5%). Other notable constituents were caryophyllene oxide (8.1%) and phytol (5.4%). The oil of the plant was characterized by high amounts of sesquiterpenes (35.8%) and aliphatic compounds (27.7%). The monoterpenes fraction was relatively small, representing (7.5%) of the total oil.