Effect of different natural habitats on the variation in essential oil components of Origanum onites L.

Abstract

Origanum onites L., which is native to the Mediterranean region, is among one of the economically significant medicinal and aromatic plants that are not only gathered in the wild, but also cultivated in our country. The purpose of this study was to determine how the region in which Origanum onites grows affects the amount of essential oil and essential oil components in the plant's flowers and leaves. In this context, the effect of the plant's growing location on the essential oil content and essential oil components of the flowers and leaves of the Origanum onites, which grows naturally between 0-100 m in the Serik-Aksu, Demre, and Kaş regions of Antalya, was investigated together with the soil properties. The essential oils were extracted from the plant samples' leaves and flowers using the hydrodistillation method. The analysis of essential oils was done using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) systems. Soil samples were analyzed for their pH, EC, CaCO3, texture, organic matter, total N, available P, and K values. The organic matter and exchangeable potassium contents of the soils, as well as the content of essential oil in the flowers and leaves of the plants, were found to increase gradually towards the west of Antalya. It has been demonstrated that the amounts of essential oil components of the plants varied depending on the region in each of the three different study locations.