Süstemaatiline kuuluvus (APG IV)
Riik: Taimed (Plantae)
Klaad: Soontaimed (Tracheophyta)
Klaad: Katteseemnetaimed (Angiospermae)
Klaad: Päriskaheidulehelised (Eudicotyledonae)
Selts: Iminõgeselaadsed (Lamiales)
Sugukond: Huulõielised (Lamiaceae)
Perekond: Piparrohi (Satureja)
Liik: Aed-piparrohi - Satureja hortensis L.

Botaaniline kirjeldus
Aed-piparrohi on vastupidav üheaastane taim huulõieliste sugukonnast, perekonnast piparrohi. Taim kaetud lühiikeste lidus karvadega. Taimel on peened, püstised, umbes 30 cm kõrgused harunevad varred. Lehed on pronksjasrohelised, umbes 1,2 cm pikad, piklikud-lineaalsed, terava tipuga, aluse poole kitseneva lühikese leherootsuga, sageli paiknevad männastena. Õiekate on kaheli, viietine. Õiteks on väikeseid, kahvatulillaid huuljad õied, mis paiknevad lehtede kaenaldes lühikestel õieraagudel. Õiekroon valge või lillad. [1,2]

Levila
Piparrohi on pärit Euraasiast ja Põhja-Aafrikast ning seda kasvatatakse paljudes kliimatingimustes, eriti Prantsusmaal ja Hispaanias. [2]

Toime ja kasutamine
Aed-piparrohi on aromaatne taim, mida sageli kasutatakse maitsetaimena, kuid sellel on ka märkimisväärsed raviomadused. 

Rahvameditsiinis kasutatakse piparrohtu söögiisu parandamiseks, seedimise ergutamiseks, ainevahetuse kiirendamiseks ning kõhugaaside vähenemiseks ja soolespasmide leevendamiseks. Lisaks hävitab see kahjulikke baktereid ning aitab kõhulahtisuse ja puhituste korral. Piparrohu ravimiseks valmistatakse tavaliselt võrsetest enne õide puhkemist teed või külma vesitõmmist. Külma veega leotis on efektiivsem kui keeva veega valatud tee. Kõhulahtisuse korral valmistatakse kuum ja tugev tee, teistel juhtudel soovitatakse külma veega valmistatud tõmmist. Piparrohi on kasulik hingamisteede haiguste ja köha korral ning võib ergutada südame tegevust, olles samal ajal hea madala vererõhuga inimestele. [3,4,5]

Tänu taime tugevale ja meeldivale vürtsikale aroomile ning sellest taimest saadavale eeterlikule õlile on teda laialdaselt kasutatud toiduainetööstuses maitsestamiseks ning parfüümitööstuses. Aed-piparrohu antioksüdantne, antibakteriaalne ja seenevastane toime viitab sellele, et sellel taimel võib olla paljutõotav potentsiaal kasutada toiduainetööstuses loodusliku ühendina, et vältida toidu riknemist, saastumist, hävimist ja oksüdeerumist, suurendades samal ajal toiduainete ohutust. [3,4]

Kasutatud allikad
1. Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Summer savory. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_savory
2.Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2023, September 29). Savory. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/plant/savory-plant
3. Fierascu, I., Dinu-Pirvu, C. E., Fierascu, R. C., Velescu, B. S., Anuta, V., Ortan, A., & Jinga, V. (n.d.). molecules Phytochemical Profile and Biological Activities of Satureja hortensis L.: A Review of the Last Decade. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23102458
4. Hassanzadeh, M. K., Najaran, Z. T., Nasery, M., & Emami, S. A. (2015). Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis L.) Oils. Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety, 757– 764. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-416641-7.00086-9 
5. Kodutohter. (2018). Aed-piparrohi on terviseks. Maitsetaim, mis on suur kõhu sõber. kodus.ee. https://kodutohter.ee/artikkel/aed-piparrohi-terviseks-maitsetaim-mis-suur-kohu-sober

Classification (APG IV)
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Satureja 
Species: Summer savory - Satureja hortensis L.

Botanical description
Summer savory is a hardy annual plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family and the Satureja genus. The plant is covered with short, appressed hairs. It has slender, upright, branching stems that grow to about 30 cm in height. The leaves are bronze-green, about 1.2 cm long, elongated-linear, with a sharp tip and a short petiole tapering towards the base, often arranged in whorls. The perianth is bilabiate and consists of five parts. The flowers are small, pale lilac, labiate, and grow in the axils of the leaves on short flower stalks. The corolla can be white or purple. [1,2]

Distribution
Summer savory originates from Eurasia and North Africa and is cultivated in many climatic conditions, especially in France and Spain. [2]

Effects and usage
Summer savory is an aromatic plant often used as a culinary herb, but it also has significant medicinal properties.

In traditional medicine, summer savory is used to improve appetite, stimulate digestion, accelerate metabolism, reduce bloating and relieve intestinal spasms. Additionally, it eliminates harmful bacteria and helps with diarrhea and flatulence. For medicinal use, tea or cold infusions are usually prepared from the shoots before the plant flowers. Cold water extracts are more effective than hot tea. In cases of diarrhea, a hot and strong tea is recommended, while for other conditions, a cold infusion is advised. Summer savory is beneficial for respiratory diseases and cough relief and can stimulate heart function, making it a good remedy for people with low blood pressure. [3,4,5]

Due to the plant's strong and pleasant spicy aroma and the essential oil derived from it, summer savory has been widely used in the food industry for seasoning and in the perfume industry. Its antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal properties suggest that this plant may have promising potential as a natural compound in the food industry to prevent spoilage, contamination, degradation, and oxidation of food products while increasing food safety. [3,4]

References
1. Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Summer savory. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_savory
2. Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2023, September 29). Savory. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/plant/savory-plant
3. Fierascu, I., Dinu-Pirvu, C. E., Fierascu, R. C., Velescu, B. S., Anuta, V., Ortan, A., & Jinga, V. (n.d.). Phytochemical Profile and Biological Activities of Satureja hortensis L.: A Review of the Last Decade. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23102458
4. Hassanzadeh, M. K., Najaran, Z. T., Nasery, M., & Emami, S. A. (2015). Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis L.) Oils. Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety, 757–764. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-416641-7.00086-9
5. Kodutohter. (2018). Summer savory for health: An herb that is great for digestion. kodus.ee. https://kodutohter.ee/artikkel/aed-piparrohi-terviseks-maitsetaim-mis-suur-kohu-sober