Analysis of the Foeniculum vulgare Mill. collection by the complex of features in the conditions of the Crimea foothills

Received: February 24th, 2021 ; Accepted: May 8th, 2021 ; Published: Accepted: May 19th, 2021 ; Correspondence:[email protected] vulgare Mill. is a valuable essential oil plant, which raw materials and derived products, and, above all, essential oil, are widely used in the perfume and cosmetics, liquor, paint and varnish industries, in the food industry and medicine. The source material for cultivated plants selection, including F. vulgare, is the collections of the gene pool. The objective of this study was a comparative study of F. vulgare samples collection by the complex of features to clarify the possibility of identifying sources of economically valuable characteristics for creating promising breeding material. The study of the F. vulgare collection supported by the Research Institute of Agriculture of Crimea, which includes 75 samples rom 28 countries, was conducted in 2017–2019 at an experimental base located in the Crimea Foothills (Krymskaya Roza village, Belogorsky district). The collection samples were analyzed according to morphobiological parameters and productivity indicators. The work was guided by generally accepted methods, including those developed for essential oil plants. Statistical processing of the obtained data was carried out. The wide variability of the collection is shown, according to individual indicators (variation coefficients - from 8.3 to 54.4%). In this way, the mass fraction of essential oil (one of the most important indicators) varies within a wide range in the collection - from 1.09 to 3.86% (of absolutely dry mass) in whole plants and from 4.16 to 8.53% in fruits. The composition of the essential oil depends on the raw material. The anethole content reaches 80% in fruit oil, and the content of fenchone and terpene compounds is increased during the plant processing. The results of the collection analysis are basic, allowing preliminary sampling with high productivity indicators for inclusion in breeding studies

Comparative anatomical and morphological characteristics of two subspecies of Melissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae)

Received: February 23rd, 2022 ; Accepted: May 22nd, 2022 ; Published: July 30th, 2022 ; Correspondence: [email protected] aim of the research is to comprehensively compare the anatomical and morphological structures of plants of Melissa officinalis subsp. officinalis (‘Krymchanka’ and ‘Lada’ varieties) and of M. officinalis subsp. аltissima (Sm.) Arcang. These plants have pronounced differences in morphological features and production indexes. They are grown in the collection of aromatic plants of the Research Institute of Agriculture of the Crimea (Krymskaya Roza village, Belogorsky district of Crimea). These studies will allow us to supplement the botanical characteristics of both subspecies of M. officinalis, and also to evaluate their plasticity and possibilities of adaptation to growing conditions. For examination we collected plants in the flowering phase. Anatomical study was carried out using a fixed (alcohol: glycerin : water in a ratio of 1: 1: 1) and native preparation. A complex of mesomorphic and xeromorphic characters is established, that confirms the high plasticity and determines the adaptive capabilities of the species when introduced into various soil and climatic conditions. A variety of epidermal structures was revealed, which are represented by single and multicellular non-glandular trichomes and various types of glandular structures. Among them, trichomes with a multicellular pedicle and a unicellular head, which we found only in M. officinalis subsp. officinalis

Characteristics of the

The purpose of this study was to analyze the Foeniculum vulgare Mill. collection by the content and component composition of essential oil. The study was carried out in 2017-2019. The collection is located in the experimental site of the Research Institute of Agriculture of Crimea, located in the Crimea Foothill (Krymskaya Roza village) in accordance with the developed methods. The component composition of F. vulgare essential oil was determined by the method of gas chromatography on the “Crystal 5000.2”. It was found that the essential oil content in mature F. vulgare fruits amounted to the average of 5,88± 0.10%, which was higher than in the green plants’ material - 2,36± 0.06%. The main component of the essential oil is anethole. The anethole content in essential oil from fruits was higher than from the green plants’ material: 64.9-84.3% and 33.5-74.6%, respectively. 66.0% of the analyzed samples corresponded to ISO 17412:2007 requirements. Essential oil from the green plants’ material contained more α-phellandrene compared to essential oil from fruits: 1.5-19.9% and 0.1-0.4%, respectively. According to the research results, 9 promising samples with a high content of essential oil in fruits - from 6,52 ± 0.88 to 8,10± 0.91% were distinguished