Journal of Medicinal Plants (Sep 2014)
Physico-chemical Properties of Seeds in Valuable Medicinal Species of the Genus Salvia L.
Abstract
Background: The seeds of some medicinal plants and their compounds have long been valued for their numerous health benefits. Objective:To investigate some physical and chemical properties of Salvia spp. Methods: Some physico-chemical properties in five species of Salvia seeds (consisted of S. officinalis L., S. macrosiphon L., S. hypoleuca L., S. sclarea L. and S. nemorosa L.) were measured at 8.73 ± 0.09% moisture content (d.b.) in four categories of large, medium, small size and ungraded lots with replication. Results: The largest major diameter (L1) value was recorded in S. hypoleuca L. The highest intermediate (L2) and minor diameters (L3), seed weight, volume, surface area, sphericity, arithmetic, geometric and square mean diameters, equivalent diameter and mucilage content were obtained in S. officinalis L. seeds. Also, the most percentage of oils content was observed in S. sclarea seeds. Maximum kurtosis index was obtained in S. officinalis L. for major and minor diameter, surface area, sphericity, arithmetic, geometric and square mean diameters and equinalant diameter, in S. hypoleuca L. for intermediate diameter and seed volume, and in S. nemorosa L. for seed weight. The highest skewness index was observed in S. hypoleuca L. for minor diameter, seed volume, surface area, arithmetic and square mean diameter and equivalent diameter, in S. nemorosa L. for major diameter and seed weight, in S. officinalis L. for intermediate diameter and sphericity, and in S. sclarea L. for geometric mean diameter. Conclusion: The maximum content of mucilage and oils were found in S. officinalis and S. sclarea, respectively. The mucilage content was significantly correlated to minor diameter and sphericity, while there was not significant correlation between content of seed oils and measured parameters.
