Comparative Evaluation of the Essential Oil of the New Ukrainian Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula x intermedia Cultivars Grown on the Same Plots

Abstract

New cultivars of lavender adapted to arid steppe conditions were developed by the Institute of Rice of Ukrainian National Academy of Agrarian Sciences (NAAS). This work is a part of the characterization process of the new cultivars. The chemical composition of the essential oil of the seven new Lavandula angustifolia and eight new Lavandula x intermedia cultivars was investigated and compared. In total, 71 different compounds were identified. Linalool and linalool acetate were the main components in both species in ranges of 26.14–57.07% and 9.08–24.45%, respectively. They were followed by terpinen-4-ol (2.16–22.44%), lavandulyl acetate (2.12–10.23%), and lavandulol (1.30–3.14) in the case of L. angustifolia and camphor (10.11–12.55%), borneol (5.49–8.71%), and eucalyptol (0.47–7.41%) in the case of L. x intermedia. The oils had a valuable terpene profile—a high linalool content and the substantial presence of lavandulol and its ester. Nevertheless, they did not comply with the industry standards, mostly due to high levels of terpinene-4-ol. Evidently, a high content of terpinen-4-ol is a characteristic feature of L. angustifolia oils bred in Ukraine. Additionally, the LA3 cultivar yielded an oil with some of the highest linalool contents reported in the literature. Statistical analysis and literature data allowed for the comparative analysis of the gathered data. MANOVA, PCA, and HCA marked caryophyllene oxide as another potential differentiating compound between studied species.

Current Trends for Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) Crops and Products with Emphasis on Essential Oil Quality

“…A recent study from Ukraine identified no less than 70 compounds in the essential oil of L. angustifolia across seven genotypes, with numbers varying between 39–47 compounds per cultivar [ 96 ]. A study from Hungary reported up to 36 compounds in the essential oil from the cultivars ‘Budakalászi’ and ‘Maillette’ [ 72 ].…”

“…Agronomic factors, such as the genotype used [ 72 , 96 ] and aspects related to the cultivation technology, such as fertilization [ 64 , 65 ] and irrigation [ 35 ], were shown to influence the essential oil obtained from lavender. Some factors are very specific, such as the time of day at harvest [ 5 , 73 ].…”

Lavandula × intermedia—A Bastard Lavender or a Plant of Many Values? Part I. Biology and Chemical Composition of Lavandin

“…In consequence, the obtained EO is much cheaper than true lavender oil and is often used for counterfeiting true lavender oil. The other names for L. × intermedia are lavandin, Dutch lavender, or bastard lavender [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”

“…Certainly yes, if we only consider the perfume industry. Lavandin essential oil is cheaper and has sharper smell notes caused by a higher content of camphor, borneol, and 1,8-cineole [ 2 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. However, is lavandin EO less valuable than true lavender oil in other non-perfumery applications?…”

“…The first, part of the review article addresses the biological and chemical aspects of LI. The second part of the review, which is published separately [ 10 ], focuses on the established biological properties and provides an overview of its applications in industries and daily life.…”