Effect of Cryopreservation on essential oil of Satureja sahendica

 Cryopreservation is regarded as a technology with high importance to conserve the plant germplasm for a long period. The use of this technology to preserve the plant materials is useful when it does not change the chemical composition of the essential oil. Satureja sahendica is one of the endangered medicinal species in Iran; thus, conservation of its genetic materials is considerably important. In order to investigate the phytochemical stability and to compare the type and content of the compositions identified, the plant samples were studied under cryopreservation condition and then, the treated seeds were transferred to the liquid nitrogen at –196°C for one week. In the present study, the flowering shoots resulted from various treated seeds were collected and dried in the laboratory; then, their essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation method. Afterwards, the essential oil compositions were identified using analytical gas chromatography and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer (GC/MS) as well as retention index calculation. Finally, 15 compositions were identified in the essential oil of the study plant under cryopreservation condition. The main components in the essential oil included, p-cymene (43.3%), terpinene (21.5%), thymol (18.3%) and carvacrol (5.1%). Results indicated that regarding the number, type and percentage of compounds existing in the essential oils, there was no difference between the control and cryopreservation treatments; therefore, the seeds of this valuable endangered species can be preserved for a long period and its extinction may be avoided by using the cryopreservation technique