Altitude-Dependent Variation in Chemical Composition of Essential Oil of Origanum acutidens (Hand-Mazz.) Ietswaart
Abstract
Altitude significantly influences the yield and composition of essential oils in medicinal plants, with Origanum acutidens (Hand-Mazz.) Ietswaart, an endemic species in Eastern Anatolia, Türkiye, showing noticeable variations. Known for its traditional medicinal uses and aromatic qualities, this species was studied at three different altitudes (1150, 1650, and 2150 m) in the Eastern Black Sea Region. The results showed that essential oil yield increased with altitude, with yields at 0.75%, 0.86%, and 1.03% at each altitude, respectively. Key components of the oil, carvacrol and p-cymene, also varied with altitude. Carvacrol content increased significantly from 38.30% to 58.76% as altitude increased, while p-cymene content decreased from 35.47% to 17.12%. These results suggest that higher altitudes, which provide conditions like lower temperature, reduced air pressure, and higher UV exposure, stimulate secondary metabolite production in O. acutidens. It is recommended that further research be conducted to explore this plant’s chemical diversity across varied topography and climate conditions.
Keywords
Altitude, Carvacrol, Essential oil, Origanum acutidens, p-cymene
Thanks
This study was presented as an oral presentation by Furkan Çoban at the ISEO 2023 (International Symposium on Essential Oils) in Italy and was published as an abstract in the conference proceedings. We extend our gratitude to the symposium organizers and participants for their valuable feedback, which contributed significantly to the refinement of this work.
References
- Adams, R. P. (2007). Identification of essential oil components by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. Allured Publishing Corporation.
- Baser, K. H. C., Tümen, G., & Duman, H. (1997). Essential oil of Origanum acutidens (Hand.-Mazz.) Ietswaart. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 9(1), 91-92. https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700721
- Burt, S. (2004). Essential oils: Their antibacterial properties and potential applications in foods—a review. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 94(3), 223-253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2004.03.022
- Chrysargyris, A., Mikallou, M., Petropoulos, S., & Tzortzakis, N. (2020). Profiling of essential oils components and polyphenols for their antioxidant activity of medicinal and aromatic plants grown in different environmental conditions. Agronomy, 10(5), 727. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10050727
- Cosge, B., Turker, A., Ipek, A., & Gurbuz, B. (2009). Chemical compositions and antibacterial activities of the essential oils from aerial parts and corollas of Origanum acutidens (Hand.-Mazz.) Ietswaart, an endemic species to Turkey. Molecules, 14(5), 1702-1712. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules14051702
- Davis, P. H. (1970). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean islands. Edinburgh University Press.
- De Vincenzi, M., Stammati, A., De Vincenzi, A., & Silano, M. (2004). Constituents of aromatic plants: Carvacrol. Fitoterapia, 75(7-8), 801-804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2004.05.002
- Fidan, M., Teğin, İ., Erez, M. E., Pınar, S. M., & Eroğlu, H. (2020). Etnobotanik amaçlı kullanılan Origanum acutidens bitkisinin toplam fenolik-flovonoid içeriği, fenolik bileşikleri ve element analizi. Academic Platform-Journal of Engineering and Science, 8(1), 49-55. https://doi.org/10.21541/apjes.510659 (In Turkish)
- Gulec, A. K., Erecevit, P., Yuce, E., Arslan, A., Bagci, E., & Kirbag, S. (2014). Antimicrobial activity of the methanol extracts and essential oil with the composition of endemic Origanum acutidens (Lamiaceae). Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants, 17(2), 353-358. https://doi.org/10.1080/0972060X.2014.884770
- Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M., & Babaç, M. T. (2012). Türkiye bitkileri listesi (damarlı bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. (In Turkish)