Chemical composition of different parts of Ferula assa-foetida L. using GC-MS

Ferula assa-foetida L. is a medicinal plant of the Apiaceae family is native to Iran that has traditionally been used for its therapeutic value. Particularly, terpenoid and sesquiterpene metabolites, major components of the root-derived oleo-gum-resin, exhibit anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities .In the present investigation, the essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation in a clevenger extractor and the chemical compounds from four different organs (i.e., roots, stems, flowers and leaves) of F. assa-foetida L. including terpenoids and sesquiterpene were evaluated by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Our results indicated that the flower and leaf of the plant possess the highest and the lowest amounts (0.7 and 0.1 % v/w) of essential oils, respectively. The metabolites such as β-Pinene, α-Pinene, Propyl n-butyl disulfide and 1,2-dithiolane were the main constituents of the essential oil of all the four plant organs. The other major components in the root, stem and flower of the plant were (Z)-1-propenyl sec-butyl disulfide and β-Eudesmol, while considering leaf organ, 2-isopropyl-5-methyl-9-methylene- and β-Maaliene were characterized as the major constitutes. The essential oils of four parts were dominated by the volatile sulfur-containing compounds as well as sesquiterpene. Our results, overall, represented that F. assa-foetida could be a reliable and trustworthy repository for production of “oleo-gum-resin”, and therefore can be frequently utilized in food and flavor industries.