Determination of volatile components and ethnobotanical properties of Rhus coriaria L. in Isparta province of Turkey

Rhus coriaria L., which is from the Anacardiaceae family, is important as a spice and medicinal plant in Türkiye. In recent years, when drugs are insufficient, interest in natural plants has increased and their importance has increased in terms of being a source of raw materials in many industrial areas. In this study, it was aimed to determine the volatile components of sumac fruit samples collected from Kasnak, Kovada Lake, Barla Mountain, Aşağıgökdere and Sütçüler locations in Isparta province and their ethnobotanical use in the region. 159 volatile components of Rhus coriaria, were determined by the Head Void-Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (HS-SPME) technique combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The main components were α-pinene (Sütçüler 16.95%; Barla Mount 24.41%, Kovada 16.37%, Kasnak Forest 5.81%, Aşağıgökdere 18.20%, limonene (Sütçüler 7.50%; Barla Mountain 8.35%; Kovada 18.07%; Kasnak Forest 11%, 83; Aşağıgökdere 12.38%), 1,3,6-Octatriene, 3,7-Dimethyl- (Sütçüler 13.76%; Barla Mountain 19.36%; Kovada 7.97%; Kasnak Forest 5.53% ; Aşağıgökdere 15.01%) and β-caryophyllene (Sütçüler 7.70%; Barla Mountain 21.55%; Kovada 12.99%; Kasnak Forest 33.63%; Aşağıgökdere 1.18%). To determine the ethnobotanical use of Rhus coriaria in the region, a face-to-face survey of 22 questions was applied to 150 people selected by the stratified sampling model from the local people. The local people use the leaves and flowers of Rhus coriaria as tea, the fruits as a spice, and the sour sauce obtained from the fruits for food purposes. They also stated that they use it for various ailments, especially against Covid-19, for health purposes.