Composition of essential oil of costmary [Balsamita major (L.) Desf.] at different growth phases

E. Bylaite, R. Venskutonis, J.P. Roozen, M.A. Posthumus

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The essential oils from leaves and flowers of costmary, Balsamita major (L.) Desf. (syn. Chrysanthemum balsamita L.), were analyzed at various phases of plant growth. The highest contents of oil both in leaves and in flowers were determined before full blooming, 1.15 and 1.34øw/w), respectively. Seventy-eight volatile compounds have been identified in the oils of Balsamita major, of which 58 (19 tentatively, 39 positively) have not been reported in this plant previously. Carvone and -thujone were found to be dominating compounds constituting from 51.8 to 68.0nd from 9.0 to 16.1␒n the total oil, respectively. Seasonal variations in the oil compositions were not considerable except for the starting phase (May 25, 1995), when the content of carvone was lower and the content of -thujone and sesquiterpenes higher. The content of sesquiterpenes was ~2 times higher in flowers than in the leaves. Absolute amount of most components was highest at the bud formation period.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2409-2414
JournalJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Volume48
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2000

Keywords

  • Asteraceae
  • Balsamita major (L.) Desf.
  • Carvone
  • Chrysanthemum balsamita L.
  • Costmary
  • Essential oil
  • Harvesting time

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