COMPOSITION OF ESSENTIAL OIL OF Oxytropis kuchanensis FROM IRAN

摘要

Oxytropis genus belongs to the family Fabaceae, with 115 species and subspecies found in Iran, among which 21 species are endemic [1, 2]. The other species is distributed in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and some other central Asian countries [2]. Oxytropis kuchanensis Vassilcz. is one of the endemic species of this genus that grows exclusively in Gorgan and Khorasan Provinces in Iran [1]. Essential oils are the aromatic and volatile oily liquids that are complex mixtures of terpenic hydrocarbons and oxygenated derivatives such as aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, organic acids, and esters that can be obtained from plant material [3, 4]. They are usually formed in special cells or groups of cells, found in leaves and stems, and commonly concentrated in one particular region such as leaves, bark, or fruit [5, 6]. Toxic locoweed plants (Oxytropis sp.) refer to a group of perennial flowering legumes that are found in the arid and semiarid regions of the United States [7], China, and Peru [8]. Common genera of locoweed found in the western USA are O. sericia, O. lambertii, and Astragalus mollissimus [7]. This plant is an herbaceous legume. It can reach 12 inches tall; leaves are covered with fine hairs, giving it a whitish-gray appearance; flowers are white and borne on a leafless stalk emerging from the center of the plant, forming a spike-like cluster [1]. Investigation of the genus showed that the main constituents in this plant are alkaloid, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and volatile components. Also this plant contains alkaloid. Swainsonine (1,2,8-trihydroxyocta-droindolizidine) is an important compound with anticancer and antiviral potency [9]. It has been used for treating different diseases such as influenza, hyperpyrexia, pain, inflammation, anthrax, etc. [10]. Research has shown that the total extracts of O. falcata possessed significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in a dose-dependent manner. It is also reported that the flavonoid fraction of O. falcata may be a good candidate for the treatment of various inflammations or may be useful towards the development of new anti-inflammatory therapies [11]. Since the chemical composition of the essential oils of the plants depends strongly on species and growing location, there are no published reports on the essential oil compositions of this specie from Iran up to now. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the chemical composition of the essential oil of Oxytropis kuchanensis Vassilcz. (Iranian endemic locoweed) from Iran for the first time.