Investigating the Composition of Seed1 and the Effect of Height and Physiochemical Properties of Soil on the Quantity and Quality of Seed Oil of Silybum marianum L.

Identification and cultivation of new oily seeds such as Silybum marianum is an effective step towards supplying edible oil. The seeds of this plant are one of the valuable sources of oily seeds that contain essential and nonessential fatty acids and the effective ingredient Silymarin. The amount and quality of the effective ingredients in different plants depend on environmental factors and conditions of the growth regions. Therefore, in the present study, the compounds of Silybum marianum seeds and the effect of height and soil physiochemical properties on the amount of Silymarin and the oil quantity and quality of this plant was studied in several habitats located in southeastern of Mazandaran province. For so doing, after soil and plant sampling through random-systematic method, the content of seed oil was determined using Soxhlet and Silymarin was extracted using ultrasonic device. After the process of fatty acid methyl ester analysis, the fatty acids contained in the oil were identified using gas chromatography. According to the results, Linoleic acid and Oleic acid were the most important fatty acids in plant seeds. From among oil compounds, Palmitoleic, Margaric, Stearic, Linoleic, Palmitic, Arachidic, Lignoceric acids and from among soil properties, Phosphorus, lime, and soil texture had significant response to the height. Phosphorus, lime and pH had significant correlation with oil percent. Silybum marianum oil has high nutritional value due to high amounts of Oleic and Linoleic acids.