The genus Salvia is one of the largest an‎d most valuable genera of the Lamiaceae family worldwide. In Iran, 58 species of this genus occur, many of which possess medicinal properties an‎d are widely used in traditional medicine. In this study, the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model was applied to predict the potential habitat of Salvia hydrangea L. an‎d to eva‎luate the impacts of climate change on its distribution in Isfahan Province. Nineteen bioclimatic variables derived from temperature an‎d precipitation, along with a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), were used in the modeling process. The MaxEnt model determined the relationship between species occurrence an‎d environmental factors, an‎d generated maps of the species’ geographic distribution. Future climate change scenarios were also assessed. Model results indicated that the minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio6), total precipitation of the coldest quarter (Bio19), an‎d mean temperature of the wettest quarter (Bio8) were the most influential variables. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) value of 0.926 demonstrated excellent model performance. Current suitable habitats for S. hydrangea cover 26,535 hectares. Under future climate scenarios, these areas are projected to decrease, except under the optimistic SSP126 (2041–2070) scenario of the MPI_ESM1_2_HR model. According to the MPI_ESM1_2_HR an‎d MRI_ESM2_0 models, suitable habitats will shrink, an‎d under the UKESM1_0_LL, IPSL_CM6A_LR, an‎d GFDL_ESM4 models, no suitable areas are expected under the pessimistic SSP585 scenario for 2071–2100. While the ecological niche of the species is expected to remain stable, its distribution may shift to higher elevations. Additionally, the essential oil content an‎d composition of the aerial parts (flowers an‎d leaves-stems) of S. hydrangea were analyzed. Four ecotypes were collected from natural habitats in Semirom an‎d Fereydunshahr counties (Isfahan Province) within a completely ran‎domized design. Essential oils were extracted separately from flowers an‎d leaves-stems using a Clevenger apparatus, an‎d their chemical constituents were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Essential oil content in flowers ranged from 0.13% to 0.5%, while in leaves an‎d stems it ranged from 0.04% to 0.1% (w/w). The oil yield in flowers was approximately three times higher than in leaves an‎d stems. In total, 45 compounds were identified, with caryophyllene (13.61_30.47%) an‎d caryophyllene oxide (1.22_18.66%) as the major constituents across ecotypes. The oils were dominated by hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes, though the number an‎d diversity of compounds varied between plant organs. The highest potential for S. hydrangea production, in terms of bioactive chemical compounds, was observed in the western an‎d southwestern regions of Isfahan Province. These findings provide a foundation for identifying suitable areas for industrial cultivation, with applications in agriculture an‎d pharmaceutical research.

مصطفي تركش اصفهاني , پوراندخت گلكار تفت

مسعود برهاني , سعيد پورمنافي

حميد متين خواه , حسين بشري