Katalin Inotai

Changes in biomass and essential oil profile of four Lamiaceae species due to different soil water levels

Abstract The reactions of Majorana hortensis, Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita and Thymus vulgaris were investigated in controlled conditions to compare their responses on drought stress concerning yield, essential oil (EO) content and composition. Biomass and essential oil concentration were significantly decreased in each species similarly, if they were grown at 40% level of soil water capacity (SWC) compared to the ones growing at 70% SWC. The largest changes were detected in lemon balm (4.47-fold difference in biomass, 2.78-fold difference in EO content) while the response of marjoram was the modest one (1.95-fold in biomass, 1.21-fold in EO content). We found species specific quantitative modifications in the EO composition. The ratio of terpinene-type components increased in the EO of both thyme and marjoram to the expense of their characteristic compounds thymol, carvacrol and sabinyl compounds, respectively. The composition of lemon balm and peppermint, however, did not show considerable changes.

Effect of water supply on growth and polyphenols of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.)

A pot experiment was carried out with lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.). Different water supply was applied: 25%, 40% and 70% saturation of soil water capacity (SWC). Morphological traits, biomass and phenolic type active ingredients were investigated. Among the two species, main differences were registered in biomass and TPC. Lower SWC resulted in reduced biomass production of lemon balm, while the applied stress treatments did not effect the biomass of thyme. In lemon balm, highest TPC contents were measured in control plants both in shoots and roots but in thyme, the shoots showed a significantly increased TPC at the 25% SWC conditions. Neither the content of total flavonoids nor that of the rosmarinic acid was affected by the treatments. The antioxidant capacity proved to be in tight connection with the TPC in both species (r = 0.766-0.883). The rosmarinic acid content of lemon balm plants contributed to the antioxidant capacity, as well (r = 0.679-0.869).

Morphological, phytochemical and molecular characterization of intraspecific variability of wormwood ( Artemisia absinthium L.)

A trial with nine wormwood accessions was installed to carry out a systematic evaluation of intraspecific diversity. Six morphological features, essential oil (EO) yield and thujone content were measured. Besides, 11 RAPD and 15 ISSR molecular markers were tested to determine the genetic diversity of the accessions. The experiment was carried out in open field in 2016.Accession “Pakozd” exhibited largest growth (64.9 cm) and genotype “Norwegen” was the smallest (29.9 cm). This latter accession had also the smallest but thickest leaves. Concerning morphological features, the Norwegian population was the most homogenous one (CV%: 10.6-20.1) while “Belgin” brought about largest variability (CV%: 18.4-45.3).Based on EO yield, the studied accessions were divided into three significantly diverse groups. The highest yield was produced by “Spanish” accession (3.215 ml/100 g), “Norwegen” and “Belgien” produced medium values (1.569-1.892 ml/100 g) and six accessions showed EO yields below 1% (0.349-0.832 ml/100 g). Three acces-sions (“Leipzig”, “Belgien” and “Norwegen”) had high amount of thujone in the oil (50-89%) while in all other accessions thujones were absent or present only below 1%. “Belgien” accession had balanced ratio of α- and β-thujones while in the other ones β-thujone was the absolute main component.High polymorphism was found among the wormwood accessions also by molecular markers: 81.15% for RAPD and 73.10% for ISSR primers. Based on the Nei’s genetic distances the three groups of genotypes were identical to those in the case of EO yield.The study confirmed the large intraspecific variability of wormwood but revealed that it is not definitely connected to geographical origin of the populations.

Phytochemical characteristics of root volatiles and extracts of Achillea collina Becker genotypes

Abstract Recently, several publications revealed the presence of potentially active volatile substances in the roots of yarrow species. Though their specific function is not clear, they are supposed to have an important role in plant–environment interactions. In the present paper, chemical composition of hydrodistilled essential oil (EO), headspace (HS) volatiles and dichloromethane extracts (DE) of the roots of 10 different Achillea collina Becker accessions were analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS and compared. Volatility and solubility of active ingredients and the sensitivity of extraction methods resulted in different chemical compositions. Only a few of the main constituents (alismol, (E)-β-farnesene, β-sesquiphellandrene and neryl esters) were found in each extract type. In the EOs, the main compound was component with RI 1874 tentatively identified as heptadecen-7-one (28.9–43.0%). Albene (20.8–52.1%) and β-pinene (8.3–47.1%) were the most represented constituents among HS volatiles. The main and universal constituents of DEs were component with RI 1874 tentatively identified as heptadecen-7-one, linoleic acid, 2,4,6-decatrienoic acid piperideide, sterols (RI 3280, 3338 and 3360) and a triterpene (RI 3456) which together amounted 34.4–61.7% of the extracts.

Effect of genotype and age on essential oil and total phenolics in hyssop ( Hyssopus officinalis L.)

Five Hyssopus officinalis L. accessions (German, Hungarian and Polish ones) were compared over three years with regard to their development and secondary metabolite production, in an open field experiment. The Hungarian variety ‘Sophie’ produced the highest essential oil (EO) yield (up to 2.037 ml/100 g). In general, one-year old individuals accumulated the most volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the accumulation was influenced significantly by genotype and year. A total of 47 components were identified in all of the oils. In all accessions cis- and transpinocamphones were most frequently the major compounds, but there were quantitative differences among genotypes. Highest proportions of these two components together appeared in ‘Erfurter Ysop’ (70.7%). The third main compound was β-pinene that accumulated in the Hungarian accessions in the highest proportions (11-19%). The cultivation year did not have a considerable influence on the EO composition. Significant difference in the total phenolic content was evident among genotypes, and ranged from 443.64 mg/g DW (‘Erfurter Ysop’) and 329.32 mg/g DW (‘Hyzop lekarsky’) calculated as gallic acid. The effect of the year was not significant, although we detected a significant variety × year interaction. In general, the selected hyssop cultivars showed an advance to commercial batches.

Evaluation of yarrow ( Achillea ) accessions by phytochemical and molecular genetic tools

Yarrow ( Achillea ) species are known and utilized worldwide. In the recent study our primarily goal was to get information about the intraspecific diversity of A. collina in the Carpathian Basin. Five cultivated genotypes and six populations of wild origin were compared involving seven other species as control. Essential oil (EO) and proazulene (PA) contents were determined and the DNA samples were evaluated by RAPD (11 primers) and ISSR (12 primers) methods. The EO content varied between 0.010 ( A. distans ) and 0.365 ( A. collina ) ml/100g DW, the PA content was found between 0.021 and 0.173% DW. The used RAPD markers provided 140 bands (97.14% polymorphic). They distinguished primarily among species and less characteristically among the A. collina populations. With ISSR primers we detected 188 bands (97.34% polymorphic). ISSR markers and combined RAPD and ISSR method enabled an informative intraspecific evaluation of A. collina accessions. The largest genetic distances were found between A. ptarmica and the members of sect. Achillea (genetic distances 0.52-0.72). Similarity is highest (genetic distance 0.27) among the populations of lower geographical distances. Nei’s genetic distances of cultivated populations are also relatively low (0.23- 0.36). Some wild accessions may represent valuable biological resources for breeding.