Levisticum officinale hairy root cultures: influence of light and light type on growth and essential oil production

The essential oils of Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch (Apiaceae), including those isolated from the roots, are used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries [1]. This perennial and herbaceous plant, commonly known as lovage, is widely known by its aromatic, ornamental and medicinal properties. The effect of light and light type on growth and essential oil production of lovage hairy root cultures was studied by comparison of cultures maintained under “blue-basic” (400-550nm) and “day-light” 16h light photoperiod with control cultures maintained under darkness. All cultures were maintained in SH medium [2] and kept at 24ºC on orbital shakers at 80 r.p.m. Growth was evaluated by fresh weight (f.w.), dry weight (d.w.) and by the dissimilation method. The essential oil samples were isolated by distillation-extraction and analysed by GC and GC-MS. Control hairy root cultures showed a fifteen-fold d.w. biomass increase at the end of the growth period (six weeks), whereas an approximately eight-fold and ten-fold increase was obtained with “blue-basic” and “day-light” grown cultures, respectively. These differences were supported by morphological and histochemical analyses. Major changes were detected in the essential oil composition, but Z-falcarinol was in all cases the major oil constituent: in darkness, “day-light” and “blue-basic” grown cultures (75%, 94% and 61%, respectively).FC

Flower yield and antioxidant properties of Arnica montana grown in Finland

vokesa/KA/kys

Flower yield and antioxidant properties of Arnica montana L., grown in Finland

vokEKO/Karil

Nitrogen stress induction on levisticum officinale hairy roots grown in darkness and under photoperiod conditions: effect on growth and volatile components

Six-year-old Levisticum officinale (lovage) hairy root cultures were used to study the effect of eight different NH4 +:NO3 − ratios on their growth and volatile components. All cultures were kept at 24°C on orbital shakers at 80 rpm, in darkness or in a 16 h light/8 h dark photoperiod. Growth was evaluated by dry and fresh weight determination. The volatiles were isolated by distillation-extraction and analysed by GC and GC-MS. Greater growth was attained in darkness with 10:90 (control, SH medium), 50:50 and 25:75 NH4 +:NO3 − ratios, and also with SH control medium under the photoperiod condition, with a 10, 14, 12.5 and 12.5 fold increase of biomass in terms of dry weight, respectively, at the end of 42 days of growth. UPGMA cluster analysis of the mixtures of volatiles isolated from the hairy roots grown with different NH4 +:NO3 − ratios confirmed their chemical variability. Although no particular grouping was detected in relation to the NH4 +:NO3 − ratios or light conditions studied, most of the mixtures of volatiles isolated from the hairy roots were either dominated by n-octanal, (Z)-falcarinol or both components in about the same relative amounts

Composition and potential uses of the essential oil of Scottish Myrica gale (L.) harvested from the wild population

vokESA/KA/KYSYES

Chemical polymorphism of the essential oils from populations of Thymus caespititius grown on the island S. Jorge (Azores)

The compositions of the essential oils obtained from ten populations of Thymus caespititius grown on S. Jorge (Azores) were studied by GC and GC-MS. All the oils analysed were dominated by their monoterpene fraction (69-91%). The sesquiterpene fraction was rather small (4-17%) and consisted mainly of oxygen-containing compounds (3-13%). Enantiomeric ratio of sabinene and [alpha]-terpineol was investigated in the oils from some populations. (+)-Sabinene was detected with high enatiomeric purity (96-99%). Although (+)-[alpha] terpineol was the predominant enantiomer, its purity varied considerably (66-97%). Cluster analysis of all identified components grouped the oils into four main clusters that corresponded with their major components: [alpha]-terpineol (43-68%), carvacrol (32-52%), thymol (44-58%) and sabinene (41%). The essential oil from Th. caespititius showed a clear chemical polymorphism, that was particularly evident among four populations growing along a 200 m distance at Pico Verde.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TH7-41K2349-C/1/cb06975bf5d34c6355b8edd36cafe7f