مشخصات پژوهش

Phenological stages and harvest time play pivotal roles in influencing the secondary metabolites and biological activities of medicinal plants. Ziziphora clinopodioides (Kakuti), a renowned aromatic and culinary herb, holds significance in Iranian folk medicine for its digestive and fever-healing properties. Analysis of Kakuti essential oil composition revealed oxygenated monoterpenoids, notably pulegone, known for their antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal properties [1]. Plants in various phenological stages have diverse compositions; therefore, determining the best harvest time is of particular importance [2]. In the present experiment, Kakuti plant were harvested in different phenological stages, including vegetative, full flowering, end of flowering and seed set stages. The essential oil was extracted using Clevenger apparatus and analyzed using GC and GC/MS. Results showed the highest pulegone content during full flowering (75.44 %), significantly differing from other stages, while the lowest was post- flowering (seed set) (42.03 %). These findings serve as valuable guidance for growers aiming to maximize metabolite yield, benefiting food and pharmaceutical industries alike.