Chemical variability in essential oil and soil elements of <i>Salvia cilicica</i> Boiss. &amp; Kotschy populations in Türkiye

Essential oil and soil element values of 4 endemic S. cilicica Boiss. & Kotschy populations growing naturally in different habitats were compared in Kahramanmaras province (Türkiye). Plant samples were collected during the growing season and dried in the shade. The ground herbs then used for essential oil extraction. The highest (0.20%) and the lowest (0.12%) essential oil amount were observed in the Maksutlu and Yesilkoy samples, respectively. A total of 50 different components were identified in the essential oil of the populations and the main components were found to be pentacosane (11.26–20.34%), hexatriacontane (6.18–14.61%), caryophyllene oxide (4.06–11.42%), cedrol (7.7–9.2%) and linalool (6.4–8.2%). The chemical analysis of the soil samples revealed the types of the elements as Mg, Ca, P and Zn. According to the results, the element concentrations in the study area could be listed as Mg (61.38–21.90 g kg−1), Ca (21.40–1.17 g kg−1), P (0.44–0.28 g kg−1) and Zn (0.479–0.026 g kg−1). Essential oil yield and content of S. cilicica are affected by soil nutrients. In all physiological and chemical studies of the species, the amount of Mg, Ca, P and Zn in the soil should be taken into consideration. So, the high content of hydrocarbon derivatives (pentacosane, hexatriacontane, dotriacontane), sesquiterpenes (caryophyllene oxide, germacrene-D) and monoterpenes (cedrol, linalool, spathulenol) in the essential oil of S. cilicica showed the potential of this species in the treatment of various diseases and in the production of chemical compounds.