Effects of environmental conditions on the quantity and quality of Salvia leriifolia Benth

In this study, 12 populations of Salvia leriifolia Benth. were collected to investigate the effects of environmental factors on the quantity and quality of essential oil. Oil was extracted using hydrodistillation based on the British Pharmacopoeia method. Chemical compositions of essential oils were detected using the GC-FID and GC-MS techniques. The influence of environmental factors on essential oil and chemical composition was analyzed using canonical correlation by SAS v. 9.1. Results showed that the average yield of essential oil were between 0.69-1.5% (v/w) for Tabas Sabzevar and Bajestan, respectively. Twenty-two compounds were identified, among which the concentration of juniper camphor (12.0-39.9%), 1,8-cineole (3.6-21%), β-pinene (8.7-18.1%) and α-pinene (4.4-10%) was high. Canonical correlation analysis among eight morphological traits and nine chemical properties revealed that the first six canonical variables had a significant canonical correlation. Canonical correlation coefficients of the first variable showed that high levels of α-pinene and β-pinene and low percentage of δ-cadinole had a direct and positive relationship with low amounts of soil calcium and potassium. In other words, the cultivation of S. leriifolia in soils rich in calcium and potassium increases δ-cadinole and α-pinene content and decreases β-pinene content in the essential oil.