Extending vase life of cut rose (Rosa hybrida L.) cv. Bacara by essential oils

Recent studies showed that some essential oils functions as antibacterial compounds. In this study results showed treatment with essential oils promoted vase life of cut roses via decreasing bacteria number inside the stem. We investigated components in the hydrodistilled essential oils of Bunium persicum Bioss, Mentha spicata L., Thymus vulgaris L. and Satureja hortensis L., as hold solutions, and their effects on relative fresh weight, water uptake, vase life, electrolyte leakage, anthocyanin content, soluble sugar content and number of bacteria at stem end of cut flowers of rose. GC-MS analysis of the extracted essential oil of B. persicum, M. spicata, Th. vulgaris and S. hortensis L. led to the identification of 14, 20, 13 and 14 major compounds, respectively. In cut rose, the treatment containing the essential oils extended flower opening period longer than the control. The 200 µl l-1 essential oil of M. spicata treatment almost doubled the vase life of cut roses. Hence these essential oils might be powerful, environmentally friendly substitutes for the chemical compounds currently added to vase waters to control bacterial content