Four compounds ß-sitosterol, ß-sitosterol-3-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside, ursolic acid and 4',5,6-trihydroxy-3', 7…

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Biology Articles » Botany » Plant Taxonomy » Chemical Constituents of Dichloromethane Extract of Cultivated Satureja khuzistanica » Introduction

Introduction

- Chemical Constituents of Dichloromethane Extract of Cultivated Satureja khuzistanica

Medicinal and aromatic plants have been used for many centuries and are still popular in today's alternative therapies. Herbal remedies and alternative medicines are used throughout the world and in the past herbs often represented the original sources of most drugs (1). Satureja khuzistanica Jamzad (Marzeh Khuzistani in Persian, family of Lamiaceae) is an endemic plant that is widely distributed in the southern parts of Iran (2). It is a subshrub, branched stem 30 cm high, densely leafly, broadly ovaiate-orbicular covered with white hairs. Base of the leaves is attenuate and petioliform.

This plant has been used as analgesic and antiseptic among the inhabitants of southern parts of Iran. Infusion of aerial parts of this plant is credited in folk medicine to relieve toothache. The composition of the essential oils of wild and cultivated S. khuzistanica has already been investigated (3). Antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive effects and antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic and reproduction stimulatory properties of this plant have been recently reported from Iran (4–6).

The chemical composition of the crude extract of this species has not yet been investigated. The current work examined the composition of dichloromethane extract of the aerial parts of cultivated S. khuzistanica.