Evaluation of diversity and stability of morphological traits and essential oil in the conservation and domestication process of four native Iranian Thymus species

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Agriculture, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Evin, Tehran, Iran. Postal Code: 1983969411.

10.22091/ethc.2023.9913.1008

Abstract

In the present study, the diversity and stability of morphological traits and essential oils of four native Iranian species of Thymus including T. persicus (Ronniger ex Rech.f.) Jalas, T. daenensis subsp. daenensis, T. pubescens Boiss., and T. caramanicus Jalas. has been investigated during the process of cultivation and ex situ domestication with an emphasis on the conservation point of view. In terms of ethnobotany, the species are known in their habitat as Ezboe, Orishom, Kekik, and Apishan, respectively, which are used in the treatment of cold and cough. The morphological traits of the species were measured in the habitat and the plants were cultivated in the same environmental conditions. The stability of the morphological and essential oils traits of the cultivated species were studied in the second year. The results showed that plant height and diameter, the number of branches, fresh and dry weight, essential oil content, and their compounds in the cultivated species were significantly (p<0.05) higher than the wild samples. The highest fresh weight (389.8 ± 3.2 g), essential oil content (3.1 ± 0.2%), thymol (73.3 ± 0.6%), and carvacrol (97.5 ± 0.8%) were obtained in cultivated T. persicus, T. daenensis, T. daenensis, and T. caramanicus, respectively. The results will be considered in the domestication and protection programs and germplasm breeding of these valuable Thymus species.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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