Mineral elements and essential oil contents of Scutellaria luteo-caerulea Bornm. & Snit.

OBJECTIVE

Scutellaria luteo-caerulea Bornm. & Snit. is one of the species of genus Scutellaria, within the family of the Lamiaceae, that is used for immune system stimulation and antibacterial effects in traditional medicine in Iran. The aims of this study were to analyze essential oils and mineral element contents of leaves of S. luteo-caerulea in flowering stage of development.

METHODS

The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation of the leaves of S. luteo-caerulea and were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Moreover, microwave digestion with atomic absorption spectrophotometry were used for the mineral elements assay.

RESULTS

Ninety-seven constituents were detected. Between them, the major components were trans-caryophyllene (25.4%), D-germacrene (7.9%), and linalool (7.4%). Determination of mineral elements showed that the highest minerals were Ca(2+) (65.14±1.95 µg/ml) and K(+) (64.67±3.10 µg/ml).

CONCLUSIONS

Presence of different essential oils and rich sources of Ca(2+) and K(+) candidate this plant as an auxiliary medication in different diseases, but more complementary researches are needed about its potency and side effects.