Sobatinasab Zahra, Rahimmalek Mehdi, Etemadi Nematollah, Szumny Antoni
Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-83111, Iran.
Department of Food Chemistry and Biocatalysis, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland.
Foods. 2025 Jan 3;14(1):124. doi: 10.3390/foods14010124.
Ajowan () is an important spice in the food industry, as a well as a medicinal plant with remarkable antioxidant properties. In this study, its essential oil content, chemical composition, flavonoid content, phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity were evaluated under three irrigation regimes (50, 70, and 90% field capacity) and different amounts of nano silicon (0, 1.5, and 3 mM) in ten populations of ajowan. Based on the GC-MS analysis, thymol, carvacrol, -cymene, and γ-terpinene were determined as the main components of the oil. The thymol content ranged from 34.16% in the Ardabil population (irrigation at 50% and nano silicon at 1.5 mM) to 65.71% in the Khorbir population (without nano silicon and irrigation at 50%). The highest phenolic content was in Khormo with irrigation at 90% and without nano silicon (172.3 mg TAE/g DW), while the lowest was found in Hamedan (irrigation at 50% and without nano silicon (7.2 mg TAE/g DW)). Irrigation at 50% and no nano silicon treatment led to an increase in total flavonoids in Ardabil (46.786 mg QUE/g DW). The antioxidant activity of ajowan was evaluated using the DPPH assay. Accordingly, the highest antioxidant capacity was observed in Khormo (irrigation at 90% without nano silicon; 4126 µg/mL). Moreover, the highest thymol content was observed in the Khorbir population with irrigation at 50% and without nano silicon treatment. Furthermore, correlation and principal component analysis (PCA) provide new insights into the production of ajowan from their substrates under nano silicon treatment and water deficit conditions. Finally, the results revealed information on how to improve the desired essential oil profile and antioxidant capacity of extracts for industrial producers.
阿育吠陀（Ajowan）是食品工业中的一种重要香料，也是一种具有显著抗氧化特性的药用植物。在本研究中，在三种灌溉制度（田间持水量的50%、70%和90%）和不同量的纳米硅（0、1.5和3 mM）条件下，对十个阿育吠陀种群的精油含量、化学成分、黄酮含量、酚类含量和抗氧化能力进行了评估。基于气相色谱-质谱分析，确定百里香酚、香芹酚、对异丙基甲苯和γ-萜品烯为该油的主要成分。百里香酚含量范围从阿尔达比勒种群（50%灌溉量和1.5 mM纳米硅）的34.16%到霍尔比尔种群（无纳米硅且50%灌溉量）的65.71%。酚类含量最高的是在霍尔莫，灌溉量为90%且无纳米硅（172.3 mg TAE/g DW），而最低的是在哈马丹（50%灌溉量且无纳米硅，7.2 mg TAE/g DW）。50%灌溉量且无纳米硅处理导致阿尔达比勒的总黄酮增加（46.786 mg QUE/g DW）。使用DPPH法评估了阿育吠陀的抗氧化活性。因此，在霍尔莫观察到最高的抗氧化能力（90%灌溉量且无纳米硅；4126 µg/mL）。此外，在50%灌溉量且无纳米硅处理的霍尔比尔种群中观察到最高的百里香酚含量。此外，相关性和主成分分析（PCA）为纳米硅处理和水分亏缺条件下阿育吠陀从其基质中的生产提供了新的见解。最后，结果揭示了如何为工业生产者改善提取物所需的精油特征和抗氧化能力的信息。
