Chemical diversity among the essential oils of different wild growing Plantago species in Iran

The use of medical plants traditionally leads to research focused on the important chemical components in their essential oils. The Plantago species, belonging to the Plantaginaceae family, have various pharmaceutical and industrial uses. In this study, we evaluated the essential oil content of five different Plantago species (P. ovata Forssk., P. major L., P. coronopus L., P. subulata L., and P. lanceolata L.) using the Hydro-distillation method, followed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. The GC–MS analysis revealed the presence of 34 compounds, accounting for 69.83–88.29(%) of the total essential oils composition in Plantago species. Common chemical groups found in all essential oils samples included esters (27.46–48.26(%, monoterpene hydrocarbons (4.98–13.06(%, oxygenated monoterpenes (0.2–6.73(%, oxygenated diterpenes (3.1–11.68(%, oxygenated sesquiterpenes (0.41–2.9(%, alkanes (1.27–8.22(%, aldehydes (3.64–7.16(%, aromatic acids (0–3.86(%, as well as triterpenes (1.38–6.14(%. The major monoterpene hydrocarbons identified in all Plantago species were p-cymene (1.23–5.78(% and α-pinene (0.74–7.54(%, P. ovata (16.85–17(%, P. major (16.02–18.99(%, and P. subulata (21.56(% were found to be rich in methyl linoleate, whereas P. coronopus (16.33)% and P. lanceolata genotypes (15.30–18.94(% contained high levels of methyl linolenate. The investigated Plantago species were found to be good sources of health-promoting phytosterols (fatty acids and esters), thus making them highly recommended for food supplements and the prevention of oxidative stress-related diseases.