Volume 18, Issue 3 (1-2025)
مرتع 2025, 18(3): 385-398 |
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Adnani S M, Zandi Esfahan E, Hossein Jafari S. The Potential of Halocnemum strobilaceum, Nitraria schoberi, and Suaeda aegyptiaca Plants as a Source of Edible Oil in the Hoze Soltan Rangelands of Qom Province. مرتع 2025; 18 (3) :385-398
URL: http://rangelandsrm.ir/article-1-1262-en.html
URL: http://rangelandsrm.ir/article-1-1262-en.html
Rangeland Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (230 Views)
Background and objectives: Halophytes are plants resistant to salinity and have the potential to produce edible oil in their seeds. The focus on cultivating halophytes and salt-tolerant plants for edible oil production is increasing, primarily due to the critical salt problem in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, such as Iran. Large areas of salty lands, particularly in arid and semi-arid countries like Iran, make these plants especially valuable in saline lands. This study aims to investigate the quality and quantity of edible oil from three halophyte species- Halocnemum strobilaceum, Nitraria schoberi, and Suaeda aegyptiaca - in the rangelands around Hoze Soltan, Qom Province, to suggest their cultivation in saline lands.
Methodology: This study was conducted in the saline habitats of Qom Province around Hoze Soltan. After preparing vegetation maps and conducting field investigations, different plant types were selected at each site, and sampling was performed in each reference region. During the seeding phenological stage, three seed samples were prepared for each species in each region based on a completely randomized design. The first replication was chosen randomly near the salinity center, with the second and third replications selected at 200-meter intervals from the previous replication. Ten plants of each species were randomly selected in each replication. For each species in every region, three seed samples (corresponding to three replications in the seeding stage) were sent to the oil analysis laboratory. The oil percentage and fatty acid composition were determined using Soxhlet extraction and gas chromatography, respectively. Soil parameters were measured after sampling. All statistical analyses and correlations were performed using SPSS software.
Results: The findings showed that Suaeda aegyptiaca had a higher seed oil percentage than Halocnemum strobilaceum and Nitraria schoberi. Seven types of fatty acids were identified in the oil obtained from the seeds of the three studied species. The dominant saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were palmitic acid and linoleic acid, respectively. The results of RDA analysis indicated that the oil and linoleic acid content in S. aegyptiaca were higher than in other species. The highest amounts of sapienic, behenic, stearic, and arachidic acids were observed in N. schoberi. Palmitic acid was most abundant in H. strobilaceum.
Conclusion: Among the three studied species, Suaeda aegyptiaca is recommended for restoring saline regions of Hoze Soltan in Qom Province due to its desirable oil production and higher amounts of oil and linoleic acid. Cultivating and utilizing S. aegyptiaca in saline lands where agricultural plants cannot be cultivated not only conserves the soil and prevents desertification but also provides a viable option for entrepreneurship, production, and obtaining plant oils from halophytes. Further research and identification of oily halophyte species are needed.
Methodology: This study was conducted in the saline habitats of Qom Province around Hoze Soltan. After preparing vegetation maps and conducting field investigations, different plant types were selected at each site, and sampling was performed in each reference region. During the seeding phenological stage, three seed samples were prepared for each species in each region based on a completely randomized design. The first replication was chosen randomly near the salinity center, with the second and third replications selected at 200-meter intervals from the previous replication. Ten plants of each species were randomly selected in each replication. For each species in every region, three seed samples (corresponding to three replications in the seeding stage) were sent to the oil analysis laboratory. The oil percentage and fatty acid composition were determined using Soxhlet extraction and gas chromatography, respectively. Soil parameters were measured after sampling. All statistical analyses and correlations were performed using SPSS software.
Results: The findings showed that Suaeda aegyptiaca had a higher seed oil percentage than Halocnemum strobilaceum and Nitraria schoberi. Seven types of fatty acids were identified in the oil obtained from the seeds of the three studied species. The dominant saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were palmitic acid and linoleic acid, respectively. The results of RDA analysis indicated that the oil and linoleic acid content in S. aegyptiaca were higher than in other species. The highest amounts of sapienic, behenic, stearic, and arachidic acids were observed in N. schoberi. Palmitic acid was most abundant in H. strobilaceum.
Conclusion: Among the three studied species, Suaeda aegyptiaca is recommended for restoring saline regions of Hoze Soltan in Qom Province due to its desirable oil production and higher amounts of oil and linoleic acid. Cultivating and utilizing S. aegyptiaca in saline lands where agricultural plants cannot be cultivated not only conserves the soil and prevents desertification but also provides a viable option for entrepreneurship, production, and obtaining plant oils from halophytes. Further research and identification of oily halophyte species are needed.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2024/05/18 | Accepted: 2024/11/24 | Published: 2025/01/29
Received: 2024/05/18 | Accepted: 2024/11/24 | Published: 2025/01/29
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