Horehound herb (Marrubium vulgare L.) is harvested from plantations in Poland. In our country, there are also favorable conditions for M. incanum Desr. growing. The aim of the study was to compare the chemical composition of essential oils from M. vulgare L. and M. incanum Desr. in the second year of cultivation. The study revealed the presence of 31 compounds in the essential oil from M. vulgare L. and 24 compounds in the essential oil from M. incanum Desr. Chromatographic analysis revealed that the main compounds in the essential oil of M. vulgare L. from a two-year plantation were as follows: E-caryophyllene (34.51-36.78%), germacrene D (22.45-27.18%), bicyclogermacrene (9.54-11.12%), δ-amorphene (6.15-8.18%), and carvacrol (4.71-6.64%), whereas the following compounds prevailed in the oil from M. incanum Desr.: germacrene D (28.75-32.14%), E-caryophyllene (23.18-29.57%), α-cadinol (13.59-20.84%), and carvacrol (2.08-7.47%).
The chemical composition and activity of herbal raw material depend, among others, on ontogenetic variability. The present study investigated the effect of harvest date of winter savory (Satureja montana L.) herb and plant age on fresh and dry herb yield as well as on the content of L-ascorbic acid, carotenoids, chlorophylls, essential oil, flavonoids and tannins. S. montana herb from a one-and two-year-old plantation was harvested in June (vegetative stage), July (beginning of flowering), August (full flowering) and September (senescent plants). As the plants progressed to the successive growth stages, they were characterized by a higher fresh and dry herb yield. Two-year-old plants produced a significantly higher fresh and dry herb yield compared to one-year-old plants. The herb harvested before flowering contained most L-ascorbic acid, carotenoids and tannins, whereas the herb harvested at full floweringmost chlorophylls, essential oil and flavonoids. Two-year-old plants accumulated in the herb more L-ascorbic acid, chlorophylls and essential oil than one-year-old plants.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.