Boldo (Peumus boldus) cultivated under different light conditions, soil humidity and plantation density

Vogel, H (reprint author), Univ Talca, Fac Ciencias Agr, Casilla 747, Talca, Chile.Boldo (Peumus boldus Mol.) is a medicinal plant native to the central zone of Chile and part of the sclerophyll forest. More than 2000 tons of dried leaves exported annually are wild collected. To develop a cultivation system that supports sustainable production of boldo leaves, we have studied growth and harvest of boldo under different light and soil water conditions. The leaf yield per plant as well as the alkaloid and essential oil content were the same for plants grown under shade and for plants exposed to full sun. The only difference between the shaded and the full sun plants was a higher percentage of stem in the harvested product of shade grown plants. This result would permit the intercropping of boldo in forest plantations without affecting the leaf yield and medicinal quality. The excellent adaptation to dry conditions was confirmed, as the different treatments of soil water led to similar leaf yields and plant heights. Plants submitted to water stress produced fewer but longer shoots and contained less essential oil. None of the treatments except water stress affected the medicinal quality requirements of alkaloid or essential oil concentration in the leaves. Wild collected leaves are inexpensive because of low production costs. To be able to compete with wild supplied leaves in the international market, we have evaluated high density plantings as a way to lower costs of a cultivated product by mechanizing harvest. High planting densities led to loweryielding individuals, but leaf yield per area increased. Plant height and the percentage of leaves in the harvested product was the same for densities of 8- and 16 plants m(-2). The leaves produced by cultivated boldo generally fulfill the requirements described in the European Pharmacopoeia. We conclude that boldo can be successfully cultivated under the described cultivation conditions. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Biomass, resin and essential oil content and their variability in natural populations of the Chilean crude drug "bailahuen" (Haplopappus spp.)

Gonzalez, B (reprint author), Univ Talca, Fac Ciencias Agr, Talca, Chile.; Gonzalez, B (Gonzalez, Benita)1; Vogel, H (Vogel, Hermine)1; Razmilic, I (Razmilic, Ivan)2; San Martin, J (San Martin, Jose)3; Doll, U (Doll, Ursula)4 Source: BOBailahuen (Haplopappus rigidus, Haplopappus baylahuen, Haplopappus multifolius and Haplopappus taeda; Asteraceae) are medicinal shrubs native to the Andes Mountains of Chile widely used to treat hepatic ailments. At present, exploitation of bailahuen is based on wild collections, affecting the abundance of natural populations. Variability of biomass production and concentration of active compounds in different wild populations of the four Haplopappus species was studied in order to select the best plant material for cultivation. Resins were extracted with dichloromethane and essential oils by distillation. Biomass production of the populations was highest for H. baylahuen and H. rigidus compared with the other species, reaching between 0.56 and 1.61 kg and 1.11-1.48 kg per plant, respectively. No differences were found among populations of the same species. In some H. rigidus populations, the resin content was about a third of the dry weight, whereas plants of H. multifolius had mean values of about 8%. In H. baylahuen (11.3-27.7%) the resin content of leaves differed significantly among populations, whereas the essential oil ranged from 0.02-0.38 mL* 100g DM-1 in H. baylahuen, 0.03-0.5 mL* 100 g DM-1 for H. rigidus, and 0.08-0.35 mL* 100 g DM-1 for H. taeda. Resin content in stems differed only among H. baylahuen (6.3-15.5%) and H. rigidus (10.7-21.2%) populations. No significant differences in essential oil content among species could be detected because of the large amount of variation observed among populations. The variation between plants of the same population may indicate favorable selection potential for future breeding programs