Response of Summer Savory Essential Oil to the Ascorbic acid Under Arid Lands.

Summer savory essential oil is used as a flavour in food industries, treat various diseases and it has different biological activities. Essential oil production from aromatic plants is one way to utilize arid lands. Ascorbic acid plays an important role in essential oil production under arid lands. Plants subjected to various doses of ascorbic acid control (0.0), 100, 200 and 300 mg L-1. The greatest essential oil contents (0.5 - 0.6%; 79.2 - 100.8 ml Plot-1) were reported under 200 mg L-1 ascorbic acid rate. Twenty three constituents were detected in essential oil isolated under each treatment. Carvacrol and γ-terpinene were identified as major components which increased under ascorbic acid rates. 200 mg L-1 rate resulted in the highest values of major compounds {Carvacrol (46.5%) and γ-terpinene (32.4%)}. 300 mg L-1 rate produced the highest amounts of monoterpene hydrocarbons (MCH, 41.4%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (SCHO, 1.4%). Control rate reported the highest value of oxygenated monoterpene (MCHO, 55.9%) while the highest value of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (SCH, 4.8%) was recorded under the rates of 200 or 300 mg L-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]