Katerina P. Svoboda

Volatile oils from normal and transformed root of Artemisia absinthium.

Abstract The volatile oil distilled from the roots of field-grown Artemisia absinthium and from fermenter grown hairy roots of A. absinthium transformed

Biomass production, essential oil yield and composition of Myrica gale L. harvested from wild populations in Scotland and Finland

Myrica gale L. was harvested from wild populations in Scotland and Finland. Above-ground vegetation was assessed for growth and potential yield of biomass. Essential oil yield and composition were measured: leaf oil yield was 0.05–0.29%, flower oil yield 0.97%. Main components were α-pinene [20.1–38.9%], 1,8-cineole [2.5–23.9%], germacrene [0.4–13.2%] and γ-cadinene [8.4–21.0]. The essential oil has a potential use as a midge repellent. Copyright

Effect of Microwave Oven and Warm-Air Drying on the Microflora and Volatile Oil Profile of Culinary Herbs

ABSTRACT A number of culinary herb species Allium schoenoprasum L., Anethum graveolens L., Anthriscus cerefolium (L.) Hoffm., Artemisia dracunculus L., Coriandrum sativum L., Levisticum officinale Koch. Mentha spicata L., Origanum majorana L., Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym. ex A. W. Hill, Salvia officinalis L., Satureja hortensis L. and Thymus vulgaris L. were dried by warm-air and microwave ovens. The microbiological quality of the raw and dried material was determined for total bacterial count, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and coliforms. The volatile oil content of seven plant species was determined by gas chromatography following drying at temperatures from 40–100°C, revealing that at temperatures >60°C, most of the volatile constituents were lost. Exposure of herbs to microwaves was evaluated as a method of both drying and reducing the microbial load present on the plants. The microflora was reduced by two to three logarithmic cycles, but the effect on the volatile oil profile was profoun...

Composition of the essential oil from the leaves and flowers of Monarda citriodora var. citriodora grown in the United Kingdom.

ABSTRACT The composition of the essential oil from the leaves and flowers of Monarda citriodora var. citriodora was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Thymol was the dominant component in the oil from both the flowers (61.77%) and leaves (50.69%). The second most imprtant compound of the leaf oil was p-cymene, although yield from the flower oil was lower (4.19%). A more abundant component of the flower oil was γ-terpinene (13.30%), but only a trace of this was detected in the oil from leaves.

An investigation into drop sizes of essential oils using different dropper types

Abstract Generally, aromatherapists dispense their essential oils using the dropper-insert, adhering to the theory that 20 drops is equivalent to 1 ml. This article determines that this is very seldom, if ever, the case.

The growth and volatile oil yield of summer savory (iSatureja hortensis) in a cool wet environment

Stands of the annual culinary herb summer savory (Satureja hortensis L) were grown over four contrasting seasons, 1984-87, at Auchincruive in southwest Scotland. All crops matured in mid- to late August, yielding volatile oils of high quality. Total dry-matter yields per hectare were similar to those reported from eastern Europe, but oil yields were lower because of the genotype used, and there was considerable variation in dry-matter and oil yields between seasons. Variation in crop management (planting date, fertilization) affected oil yield only through changes in crop dry-matter production. Methods of increasing dry-matter and oil yields, and the potential of summer savory as an alternative crop for cool wet regions, are discussed.