Persian Asafoetida vs. Sagapenum: Challenges and Opportunities

• Main Authors: Alireza Barzegar, Mohammad Amin Salim, Parmis Badr, Ahmadreza Khosravi, Shiva Hemmati, Hassan Seradj, Mehrdad Iranshahi, Abdolali Mohagheghzadeh*
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Iranian Society of Pharmacognosy 2020-04-01
• Series: Research Journal of Pharmacognosy
• Subjects: asafoetida; ferula alliacea; ferula assa-foetida; ferula foetida; ferula persica
• Online Access: http://www.rjpharmacognosy.ir/article_97393_c6e9b34cf2d4775e072d84055b1c1ea3.pdf
• ISSN: 2345-4458; 2345-5977

Asafoetida and sagapenum as valuable Iranian oleo-gum-resins from <em>Ferula </em>spp. (<em>F. assa-foetida</em>, <em>F. persica</em>, <em>F. foetida</em> and <em>F. alliacea</em>) have received interest during the history for producing valuable perfumes and common spices or as pharmaceutical agents. The aim of the present work was to characterize sources of asafoetida and sagapenum, according to botanical aspects, traditional and conventional medicine and phytochemical data. Available publications have been gathered from databases up to May 2019, and common Persian literatures were reviewed. We showed that sources for asafoetida and sagapenum should be differentiated botanically according to basal leaves, size of rays, fruits and petals. Furthermore, despite similarities, volatile sulfur components in <em>F. assa-foetida</em> are disulphides, in <em>F. persica</em> tri/tetra/pentasulphides, and in <em>F. alliacea</em> trisulphides. In the case of coumarins, conferol, conferone, farnesiferol A and B, samarcandin and samarcandin acetate are so far reported from <em>F. assa-foetida</em> and <em>F. persica</em>, and asacoumarin A from <em>F. assa-foetida</em> and <em>F. foetida</em> samples; while, persicaosides A-D have been reported only from<em> F. persica</em>. Moreover, farnesiferol C as the major coumarin in <em>F. assa-foetida</em> and mogoltavidin in <em>F. persica</em> would be new pharmacopeia markers. However, coumarins and essential oils similarities and differences among <em>Ferula</em> species should be more studied in a comparative research. Such studies would be essential for determining reliable sources and minimum requirements for standardizations of worldwide valuable wild growing medicinal and economical plants.