title: Effect of different growth stages of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. on its chemical composition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to monitor the changes in the chemical composition of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. throughout nine different growth stages.
  
  
  METHODS
  Volatile components such as essential oils were analyzed using the gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry, and the contents of non-volatile components were determined by a visible spectrophotometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hydro-distilled essential oil content ranged from a minimum of 1.1% (in the post-flowering stage) to a maximum of 1.8% (in the flowering stage). The essential oils included pulegone, which was the most abundant component (77.48-87.3%), p-menthanone (2.79-12.39%), trans-isopulegone (1.04-2.06%), d-limonene (0.51-3.03%) and eucarvone (1.5-4.48%). The contents of non-volatile components, such as that of total phenolics (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), total triterpenoids content (TTC) and total free amino acids content (TFAAC) were measured using visible spectrophotometry. In the growing stage, TPC, TFC, TTC and TFAAC were 9.91-12.80 mg/g, 29.84-50.63 mg/g, 0.57-1.41 mg/g and 13.33-28.56 mg/g, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data can be used as a basis to determine the optimal harvest time of Z. clinopodioide Lam.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of TCM, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi-830011, China.
authors.forename: Wenhuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Academy of Xinjiang, Urumqi 830004, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi-830054, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of TCM, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi-830011, China ; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Famous Prescription and Science of Formulas, Urumqi-830011, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Shuge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tian
keywords: Chemical composition; Ziziphora clinopodioide Lam.; dynamic changes