Süstemaatiline kuuluvus (APG IV)
Taimed (Plantae)
└── Soontaimed (Tracheophyta)
└── Katteseemnetaimed (Angiospermae)
└── Päriskaheidulehelised (Eudicotyledonae)
└── Iminõgeselaadsed (Lamiales)
└── Huulõielised (Lamiaceae)
└── Piparrohi (Satureja)
└── Aed-piparrohi (Satureja hortensis L.) [1,2]

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. [3,4]

Levila
Looduslikult levib Euroopas (Albaania; Itaalia; Loode-Balkani poolsaar; Krimm); Aasias (Kasahstan). [2]

Introduseeritud Euroopasse (Baleaari saared; Bulgaaria; Korsika; Tšehhi-Slovakkia; Prantsusmaa; Saksamaa; Kreeka; Portugal; Hispaania; Ukraina; Kesk-Euroopa Venemaa; Ida-Euroopa Venemaa; Lõuna-Euroopa Venemaa); Aasiasse (Altai; Laheriigid; Primorje; Lääne-Himaalaja; Xinjiang); Põhja-Ameerikasse (Illinois; New York; Texas; Vermont; Wisconsin); Kariibidele (Kuuba; Dominikaani Vabariik). [2]

Kasvatamine
Aed-piparrohi on soojalembene maitsetaim, mida kasvatatakse päikeselisel kasvukohal hästi vett läbilaskvas mullas. [4]
Seemnete idanemise tingimused
Seemned ei vaja eeltöötlemist. Kõige paremini idanevad seemned temperatuuril 24 ± 1 °C (idanemine ~70%). Idanemine toimub 14 päeva vältel. [4,5]
Allelopaatia ja sümbioos
Aed-piparrohu moodustab arbaskulaarset mükoriisat. [7] Eeterlik õli ja ekstraktid võivad avaldada toimet (sh taimedele/patogeenidele). [8] Aed-piparrohu eeterlik õli on näidanud fumigantset seenevastast aktiivsust testitud fütopatogeensete seente (sh Rhizoctonia solani) suhtes. [9]

Varumine ja säilitamine
Varutakse maapealsed osad (ürdiosa) eelistatult vahetult enne õitsemist või õitsemise ajal. Korjeag mõjutab saagi kvaliteeti. [6,8] Kuivatatakse kiiresti, varjulises, hästi õhutatud ruumis. Däilitatakse kuivas ja valguse eest kaitstult, tihedalt suletult. Eeterliku õli koostis võib ladustamisel muutuda (nt üksikute monoterpeenide osakaalud), mistõttu on mõistlik kasutada droog 1 aasta jooksul. [4,8]

Keemiline koostis
Eeterlik õli
karvakrool (carvacrol)
tümool (thymol)
p-tsümeen (p-cymene)
γ-terpineen (γ-terpinene)
α-terpineen (α-terpinene)
α-tujeen (α-thujene)
α-pineen (α-pinene)
β-pineen (β-pinene)
α-fellandreen (α-phellandrene)
β-fellandreen (β-phellandrene)
mürtseen (myrcene) [8]
Fenoolhapped
rosmariinhape (rosmarinic acid)
kohvhape (caffeic acid)
p-kumaarhape (p-coumaric acid)
feruulahape (ferulic acid)
klorogeenhape (chlorogenic acid)
protokatehhuushape (protocatechuic acid)
gallushape (gallic acid)
vanilliinhape (vanillic acid) [8]
Flavonoidid
apigeniin (apigenin)
luteoliin (luteolin)
kvertsetiin (quercetin)
kemferool (kaempferol)
rutiin (rutin) [8]
Muud tuvastatud aineterühmad
tanniinid
polüsahhariidid [8]

Toime ja kasutamine
Aed-piparrohtu kasutatakse eeskätt maitsetaimena, kuid rahvameditsiinis on seda kasutatud seedimist toetava ja gaase vähendava vahendina; Toimet omavad eelkõige eeterliku õli ja polüfenoolid. [8]

Aaed-piparrohu ekstraktidel ja eeterlikul õlil on antioksüdatiivne ja antimikroobne toime. Lisaks on kirjanduses kirjeldatud põletikuvastast, valuvaigistavat ning muud bioloogilist aktiivsust (sh antiparasiitne/pestitsiidne potentsiaal), kusjuures toime tugevus sõltub oluliselt kemotüübist  ja preparaadist. [8] Laboratoorsetes katsetes on aed-piparrohu eeterlik õli näidanud seenevastast toimet. [9]

Kasutatud kirjandus
[1] Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. (2016). An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 181(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12385
[2] Plants of the World Online (POWO). (n.d.). Satureja hortensis L. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (Vaadatud 19.01.2026).
[3] Encyclopaedia Britannica (Britannica). (2023, September 29). Savory. (Vaadatud 19.01.2026).
[4] Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). (n.d.). Summer savory (Satureja hortensis). (Vaadatud 19.01.2026).
[5] Nejatzadeh, F. (2021). Effect of silver nanoparticles on salt tolerance of Satureja hortensis L. during in vitro and in vivo germination tests. Heliyon, 7(2), e05981. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e05981
[6] Bianchi, L., Adelin, A., d’Interrante, S., Sbrana, C., Biondi, E., Pistelli, L., & Giovannetti, M. (2025). Exploring harvest times: Influence of shading and harvest stage on yield and quality of aromatic and medicinal plants. PLOS ONE, 20(7), e0324133. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324133
[7] Bastami, A., Amirnia, R., Sayyed, R. Z., & El Enshasy, H. A. (2021). The Effect of Mycorrhizal Fungi and Organic Fertilizers on Quantitative and Qualitative Traits of Two Important Satureja Species. Agronomy, 11(7), 1285. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11071285
[8] Fierascu, I., Dinu-Pîrvu, C. E., Fierascu, R. C., Velescu, B. S., Anuta, V., Ortan, A., & Jinga, V. (2018). Phytochemical Profile and Biological Activities of Satureja hortensis L.: A Review of the Last Decade. Molecules, 23(10), 2458. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23102458
[9] Kim, J. E., Lee, H. J., & Lee, J. (2019). Fumigant Antifungal Activity via Reactive Oxygen Species of Satureja hortensis Essential Oil against Phytopathogenic Fungi. Biomolecules, 9(10), 561. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom9100561

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