Impacts of temperature and storage duration on the stability of Salvia officinalis and Satureja hortensis essential oils

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, I. R Iran

2 Department of Horticultural Science, Yas. C., Islamic Azad University, Yasuj, I. R. Iran

Abstract

Environmental storage conditions play a crucial role in determining both the quantity and quality of active compounds in medicinal and aromatic plants. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of various storage conditions on the stability of essential oil constituents in these plants. A factorial experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with three replications. The experimental treatments included three storage temperatures: room temperature (21 ± 3 °C), freezer temperature (−18 ± 2 °C), and refrigerator temperature (3 °C), combined with four storage durations: T1 (immediately after distillation), T2 (after one month), T3 (after two months), and T4 (after three months). Two Lamiaceae species, Salvia officinalis and Satureja hortensis, were selected for the experiment. Plant samples were dried in air and shade, and essential oils were extracted via hydrodistillation. The essential oils were then analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The analysis revealed a significant reduction in carvacrol and a notable increase in γ-terpinene in Satureja hortensis across all three temperature conditions. In Salvia officinalis, key compounds such as cis-thujone, trans-thujone, camphor, 1,8-cineole, α-pinene, and camphene exhibited a generally stable trend. Although some fluctuations in these compounds were observed after three months of storage, the variations across temperature treatments were not statistically significant. In conclusion, room temperature appears to be the most cost-effective storage condition, preserving essential oil stability effectively over a three-month period. This was particularly evident in Salvia officinalis, which retained its major constituents under all storage conditions. These findings support the use of these essential oils in the medical, cosmetic, health, and food industries.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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Iran Agricultural Research
Volume 44, Issue 1
April 2025
Pages 119-130

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