title: Chemotaxonomic significance of the essential oils of 18 Ferula species (Apiaceae) from Iran.
abstract: To evaluate the chemotaxonomic significance of the essential oils of 23 populations of 18 Iranian Ferula species, the chemical composition of the oils was investigated by GC/FID and GC/MS. Altogether, 84 constituents, representing 81.3-99.7% of the total composition of the oils, have been identified. The composition of six species of the genus, i.e., F. oopoda, F. foetida, F. behboudiana, F. diversivittata, F. galbaniflua, and F. hezarlalehzarica, has been reported for the first time. The main constituents identified were α-terpinyl acetate (73.3%), 2,3,4-trimethylthiophene (2; 49.0%), sabinene (75.3%), verbenone (5; 69.4%), β-pinene (59.0-66.3%), and (Z)-β-ocimene (41.7%). Cluster analysis (CA) of the percentage content of the essential oil components of the Ferula species resulted in the characterization of four groups, i.e., taxa containing either i) monoterpene hydrocarbons, ii) oxygenated monoterpenes, iii) organosulfur compounds, or iv) monoterpene, sesquiterpene, and aliphatic hydrocarbons as the principal classes of compounds. Based on the results obtained, the chemical independence of F. hirtella from F. szowitsiana and of F. galbaniflua from F. gummosa at the specific level was concluded and their positions as distinct species were confirmed. The chemotaxonomic relationships among the representatives of the genus Ferula have been discussed in detail.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Isfahan, 81746-73441 Isfahan, Iran. m_kanani@stf.sbu.ac.ir
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kanani
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rahiminejad
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sonboli
authors.forename: Valiollah
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mozaffarian
authors.forename: Shahrokh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kazempour Osaloo
authors.forename: Samad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nejad Ebrahimi
mesh_terms: D019661:Apiaceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification*; D007492:Iran; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013045:Species Specificity; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile