Essential Oil Variation in Natural Populations ofSalvia leriifoliaBenth

Salvia leriifolia Benth., Labiatae, is a medicinal plant endemic to Iran. The study was conducted to determine variations of essential oil content and composition in 12 population of S. leriifolia. Essential oil obtained by hydro-distillation was characterized by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The oil contents ranged from 0.69 to 1.5 % w/v in different populations. Twenty-two components, representing 99.5–100 % of the total components, were identified. The main components were the oxygenated sesquiterpenes juniper camphor and Δ-cadinene, and monoterpenes 1,8-cineole, β-pinene, α-pinene and borneol. Three distinct groups were detected using a hierarchical clustering analysis based on concentration of 22 different compounds in 12 populations. One group was characterized by high juniper camphor and 1,8-cineole concentrations, a second group by high β-pinene, α-pinene, and borneol concentrations, the third by high juniper camphor concentration and low 1,8-cineole and β-pinene concentrations.