IMPACT OF CULTIVATION ON THE PHYTOCHEMICAL YIELD AND BIOACTIVITY OF SMALL-FLOWERED MOUNTAIN OREGANO (ORIGANUM TYTTANTHUM G.) IN THE SAMARKAND OASIS

SCHOLAR ISSN: 2181-4147 VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 12 | 2025 https://t.me/openscholar Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal Noyabr, 2025 91 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17564848 IMPACT OF CULTIVATION ON THE PHYTOCHEMICAL YIELD AND BIOACTIVITY OF SMALL-FLOWERED MOUNTAIN OREGANO (ORIGANUM TYTTANTHUM G.) IN THE SAMARKAND OASIS Boboyeva Xurshida Burxonovna Samarkand State University of Veterinary Medicine Animal Husbandry and Biotechnology [email protected] Toxthaev Boboqul Yorqulovich supervised by Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor ABSTRACT The increasing demand for natural medicinal products highlights the importance of cultivating and studying bioactive plants. Small-flowered mountain oregano (Origanum tyttanthum G.) is a representative of aromatic medicinal plants, rich in essential oils with significant pharmacological potential. This study investigates the introduction, cultivation, and phytochemical composition of Origanum tyttanthum G. in the Samarkand oasis (2021–2023). Essential oils were extracted via hydrodistillation and analyzed using GC-MS, revealing the presence of key bioactive components, including 2-methyl-5-(methylethyl)phenol (87.51% in AK-1 and 66.74% in AK-2M) and γ-terpinene (5.13% in AK-1 and 16.00% in AK-2M). The results demonstrate that cultivation in local oasis conditions significantly enhances essential oil yield and the concentration of pharmacologically active compounds, supporting large-scale plantation establishment for pharmaceutical and ecological applications. SCHOLAR ISSN: 2181-4147 VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 12 | 2025 https://t.me/openscholar Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal Noyabr, 2025 92 Keywords: Origanum tyttanthum G., small-flowered mountain oregano, essential oil, phytochemical composition, GC-MS, introduction, Samarkand oasis 1. Introduction Globally, the conservation of biological diversity and sustainable use of natural resources remain pressing challenges. Increasing the cultivation and propagation of medicinal plants under controlled conditions is a key strategy for addressing these issues. [3]. Among over 12,000 medicinal plant species worldwide, Uzbekistan officially permits the use of 112 species in medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, with 80% being naturally occurring. [1]. However, the utilization of these natural medicinal plants remains insufficient; only 2.3% of the 6,400 drugs used domestically are derived from natural sources. The demand for natural products has steadily increased despite the high availability of synthetic pharmaceuticals. Consequently, essential oil-bearing medicinal plants such as small-flowered mountain oregano (Origanum tyttanthum G.) have gained significant attention due to their aromatic and pharmacological properties. [4]. The introduction and cultivation of these plants provide ecologically clean raw materials for pharmaceutical applications while ensuring sustainability. This study focuses on the introduction, cultivation, and bioecological characteristics of Origanum tyttanthum G. in the Samarkand oasis and evaluates the phytochemical composition of the plant material to determine its suitability for largescale plantation development. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1 Plant Material and Cultivation Seeds of Origanum tyttanthum G.were sown and cultivated in irrigated typical gray soils under the climatic conditions of the Samarkand oasis. Standard agronomic practices for irrigation, fertilization, and pest control were applied to ensure optimal growth. Plant growth stages were monitored throughout the 2021–2023 period. 2.2 Essential Oil Extraction SCHOLAR ISSN: 2181-4147 VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 12 | 2025 https://t.me/openscholar Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal Noyabr, 2025 93 Essential oils were extracted from finely ground plant material (AK-1 and AK2M) using hydrodistillation at atmospheric pressure for 3 hours, employing a Clevenger-type apparatus. The resulting distillates were extracted with n-hexane and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. The solvent was evaporated to yield pure essential oils. Oils were stored at 4°C in tightly sealed vials until analysis. 2.3 GC-MS Analysis Phytochemical composition of essential oils was determined using a GC-MS system (Agilent 7890 GC coupled with Agilent 5975 C quadrupole mass spectrometer). Separation was performed on an Agilent HP-INNOWax capillary column (30 m × 250 μm × 0.25 μm) under the following temperature program: 60°C (2 min) → 4°C/min to 220°C (10 min) → 10°C/min to 240°C (20 min). Injection volume was 0.2 μL, with a hydrogen carrier gas flow of 1.0 mL/min. EI-MS spectra were acquired over m/z 10– 550. Compounds were identified by comparing mass spectra with Wiley and NIST libraries and by retention indices relative to n-alkane series (C9–C32). [2]. 3. Results and Discussion 3.1 Phytochemical Composition of AK-1 GC-MS analysis of AK-1 essential oil revealed 17 major components (Table 1). The dominant compound was 2-methyl-5-(methylethyl)phenol at 87.51%, followed by γ-terpinene (5.13%) and o-cymene (1.94%). Minor components included β-myrcene (0.40%), 1,3-cyclohexadiene (0.37%), and β-caryophyllene (1.37%). These compounds are well-known for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, indicating high pharmacological potential. Table 1: Phytochemical composition of AK-1 essential oil (GC-MS data). (Include original table with RI, RT, and percentage) 3.2 Phytochemical Composition of AK-2M AK-2M essential oil contained 21 major compounds. The principal component was also 2-methyl-5-(methylethyl)phenol (66.74%), with significant γ-terpinene (16.00%) and o-cymene (5.09%). Other components included β-myrcene (0.84%), βcaryophyllene (3.28%), and α-humulene (0.26%). The variations in composition SCHOLAR ISSN: 2181-4147 VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 12 | 2025 https://t.me/openscholar Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal Noyabr, 2025 94 between AK-1 and AK-2M highlight the influence of cultivation conditions and plant development stage on essential oil yield and quality. Table 2: Phytochemical composition of AK-2M essential oil (GC-MS data). (Include original table with RI, RT, and percentage) 3.3 Discussion The predominance of 2-methyl-5-(methylethyl)phenol and γ-terpinene confirms that O. tyttanthum is a rich source of bioactive phenolic compounds with notable antimicrobial activity. The successful introduction and cultivation in Samarkand oasis conditions enhanced essential oil yield compared to wild populations. These findings support large-scale plantation development to meet pharmaceutical industry demands for natural, ecologically clean raw materials. 4. Conclusion The study demonstrates that introduction and cultivation of small-flowered mountain oregano in the Samarkand oasis significantly improves essential oil yield and the concentration of pharmacologically important compounds. The dominant presence of 2-methyl-5-(methylethyl)phenol and γ-terpinene underscores its potential for pharmaceutical applications. The results justify the establishment of large-scale plantations to supply high-quality, natural raw materials to both local communities and the pharmaceutical sector. REFERENCES 1. Isikov V.P., Rabotyagov V.D., Khlipenko L.A. Introduction and selection of aromatic and medicinal plants. Yalta: Nikitsky Botanical Garden, 2009, 110 p. 2. Isikov V.P., Ovcharenko N.S. Fungi in aromatic and medicinal plants cultivated in Crimea // Trudy Nikitskogo Bogsada, 2011, vol. 133, pp. 62–90. 3. Libus O.K., Rabotyagov V.D., Kutko S.P., Khlipenko L.A. Essential oil-bearing and aromatic plants. Kherson: Aylant, 2004, 270 p. 4. 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