Satureja is agenus of aromaticplants of thefamilyLamiaceae, related torosemary andthyme. It is native tosouthern andsoutheastern Europe,North Africa, theMiddle East, andCentral Asia. Historically,Satureja was defined broadly and many species of the subtribe Menthinae from throughout the world were included in it. In the moderncladistic era of botany,Satureja was redefined to a narrowermonophyletic genus whose species are all native to Eurasia.[2][3] Several species are cultivated as culinary herbs calledsavory, and they have become established in the wild in a few places.[1][4]
Bothsummer savory (Satureja hortensis) andwinter savory (Satureja montana) are used to flavor food. The former is preferred by cooks but as an annual is only available in summer; winter savory is an evergreen perennial.
A recent study found the essential oils of Saturejaedmondii have antimicrobial properties and can protect food fromS. aureus.[5] The test was conducted on commercial soup products.[5]
Satureja hortensisL. – summer savory – Italy, Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia, Crimea, Caucasus, Altai Republic, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang, western Himalayas; naturalized in western Mediterranean,Persian Gulf sheikdoms, Cuba, Dominican Republic, scattered locations in United States
The heterogeneous mixture of theSatureja hortensis L. essential oil in water serves as a natural herbicide. The addition of this mixture inhibits the root elongation of weeds which reduces the weed's root-to-shoot ratio. This further reduces the weed's cell division and inhibits its germination, growth, and physiological processes.[6]
Essential oils ofSatureja khuzistanica have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties which can be useful in medical treatments.[7] A recent study found that higher concentrations of essential oils ofSatureja khuzistanica helped reduce adverse effects of traumatic brain injuries in rats.[7]
The etymology of the Latin word "satureia" is unclear. Speculation that it is related tosaturare,[8] tosatyr,[8] or toza'atar[9] is not well supported. The ancient Hebrew name is Tzatrah צתרה.
^Hazrati, Hossein; Saharkhiz, Mohammad Jamal; Niakousari, Mehrdad; Moein, Mahmoodreza (August 2017). "Natural herbicide activity ofSatureja hortensis L. essential oil nanoemulsion on the seed germination and morphophysiological features of two important weed species".Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety.142:423–430.Bibcode:2017EcoES.142..423H.doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.04.041.ISSN1090-2414.PMID28456128.
^abF. E. J. Valpy,An Etymological Dictionary of the Latin Language, 1828, p. 542.
^DeBaggio, Thomas; Tucker, Arthur O. (2009).The encyclopedia of herbs: a comprehensive reference to herbs of flavor and fragrance (2nd ed.). Timber Press.ISBN978-0-88192-994-2.
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