Abstract
Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff., as one of the valuable and endemic species of the Zagros region, is of particular importance for its aromatic and bioactive compounds. This research was conducted to evaluated the content and composition of K. odoratissima essential oil from natural habitat (doorak, Fereydunshahr County) and from field cultivation (Gavkhoft, Koohrang County). Essential oils were obtained by using a Clevenger-type apparatus, and were then chemically characterized by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC–MS) methods. A total of 26 components were identified in the essential oil samples from both the natural habitat and the field. In both environments, Z-ligustilide was the predominant compound, accounting for 71.29% of the oil in the wild-collected samples and 70.74% in the cultivated plants. Other major compounds included Terpinolene, E-Butylidenephthalide, and (E)-Ligustilide. In the field samples, their amounts were 8.44%, 6.81%, and 2.79%, respectively, while in the habitat samples, they were 6.74%, 8.96%, and 2.10%, respectively. The results of this preliminary study showed that the essential oil of K. odoratissima was characterized by a phthalide-dominant profile, with (Z)-Ligustilide as the major constituent. The same 26 compounds were detected in both wild and cultivated samples, while some quantitative differences were observed among individual constituents. Overall, the essential oil composition appeared largely preserved under field conditions. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm these findings.