Phenotypic yield-attributed traits, essential oil content and composition of Iranian Grammosciadium platycarpum (Apiaceae) populations: a rich source of (S)-(+)-linalool.

Abstract

(S)-(+)-linalool is a non-cyclic oxygenated monoterpene which is very useful and widely used in the cosmetic industries, especially in the production of perfume and cologne. Thus, due to the high commercial value and high demand, the search for new plant sources rich in (S)-(+)-linalool in agricultural systems to develop the business of this compound is of great interest. This investigation focused on the diversity of phenotypic yield and phytochemical traits in Grammosciadium platycarpum populations collected from fourteen geographical regions in Iran. The goal was to identify the essential compounds and select the best populations for domestication, cultivation, and future breeding programs. The highest coefficient of variation was observed in the umbrellas per plant, plant length, internode length, leaf width, number of lateral branches, and essential oil yield (EOY). The shoot dry weight ranged from 27.15 to 41.56 (g/plant) and the fruit dry weight from 9.23 to 20.80 (g/plant) among different populations, which was observed in the QOR population. The fruit of the plant was employed to extract and determine the content plus constituents of the essential oil. The essential oil content (EOC) exhibited a extend from 0.81 to 1.63%. MAQ population indicated the maximum and OSH population revealed the minimum EOC. The highest EOY (0.228 g/plant) was observed in the MAQ population and the lowest (0.083 g/plant) was related to the MAR population. Based on GC-MS and GC analysis, 91.97 to 99.93% of the essential compounds of different populations of G. platycarpum were identified. According to the results, linalool (65.90-81.62%) and limonene (9.73-15.34%) were the main ingredients of the essential oil profile. Rutin, ferulic acid, and chlorogenic acid were detected as the major phenolic compounds using HPLC. The high diversity observed among different populations of G. platycarpum provides good potential for selecting the best populations and using them in domestication projects, cultivation, and breeding programs.