The Influence of Soil Ionic Content on the Essential Oil Composition of Shirazi Thyme in Ecotypes of Yazd Province

Abstract

The characteristics of the growing area and the soil of the region are among the factors that can affect the amount and type of essential oil composition. The purpose of this research is to study the ionic content of Shirazi thyme plant soil in three different habitats of Yazd province and to know the relationship between the amount and type of essential oil composition with soil content. Initially, Shirazi thyme plants (Zataria multiflora Boiss.) were randomly collected from the Manshad, Khezrabad, and Esfandabad habitats in Yazd Province. The plant's essential oils were extracted using hydro distillation with a Clevenger apparatus, and the compounds were identified using GC and GC/MS devices. To evaluate the essential physical and chemical properties of the soil from each habitat, soil samples were taken to a depth of 0-30 cm. Parameters such as pH, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, carbonate and bicarbonate, salinity, phosphorus, and lime percentage were calculated. In the essential oils of the ecotypes studied, totaling 35 different compounds. The assessment of the essential oil components revealed that Carvacrol, p-Cymene, Thymol, Linalool, and γ-Terpinene were the dominant compounds in all ecotypes. The soil in the Manshad region had the highest phosphorus content and the lowest bicarbonate content among the ecotype (p< 0.05). Compounds such as 1-Octen-3-ol, 3-Octanone, α-Terpinolene, and Thymol methyl ether showed a positive correlation with phosphorus, while Ledene showed a negative correlation with phosphorus. Overall, soil clay and sand content consistently showed positive correlations with essential oil compounds and no significant correlation between the five main compounds of Shirazi thyme and soil factors.