Main Agronomic−Productive Characteristics of Two Ecotypes of Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Chemical Composition of Their Essential Oils

Abstract

The productive potential of two different ecotypes of Rosmarinus officinalis (Cevoli and Lunigiana) cultivated in the littoral area near Pisa (northern Tuscany, Italy) and the differences in the yield and composition of the essential oils of leaves, flowers, and stems obtained from different positions of the plants were used to characterize the two ecotypes. The Cevoli ecotype plant produced the highest yield of dry matter (221 g plant-1) in comparison to the Lunigiana ecotype (72 g plant-1). There were significant differences in dry matter production of different organs of both ecotypes. The essential oil contents of Cevoli and Lunigiana ecotypes were similar. In contrast, the oil contents of the different plant parts showed marked differences. The apical part of the plant and the leaves gave the highest essential oil yields. The major difference between the oils of the two ecotypes consisted in the 1,8-cineole contents (6.6 and 37.9% in Cevoli and Lunigiana, respectively). The Cevoli ecotype was determined to be the most suitable for essential oil extraction because it was characterized by a preponderance of flowers and leaves in the apical portion. The Cevoli ecotype could be classifited as an alpha-pinene chemotype, whereas Lunigiana is a 1,8-cineole chemotype.

Essential Oil‐Based Pesticides: New Insights from Old Chemistry

“…), the phenological state of the plant, the season, the climate, the soil type, and other factors. As an example, rosemary oil collected from plants in two areas of Italy were demonstrated to vary widely in the concentrations of two major constituents, 1,8-cineole (7% to 55%) and α-pinene (11% to 30%) [6]. Such variation is not uncommon and has also been described for the oils derived from Ocimum basilicum [7] and Myrtus communis [8].…”

Essential oil of <i>Thymus vulgaris</i> L. and <i>Rosmarinus officinalis</i> L.: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, cytotoxicity and antioxidant properties and antibacterial activities against foodborne pathogens

“…Also the rosemary oil used in this study mostly consisted of monoterpenes: 1,8-cineole, camphor, and α-pinene, constituting 24.1%, 19.87% and 19.49% of the essential oil, respectively. Flamini et al, (2002) [38] classified rosemary oil into two chemotypes: the α-pinene chemotype with the main compounds being α-pinene (20.6%) and 1,8 cineole (6.6%) and the 1,8-cineole chemotype with the major components being 1,8 cineole (40.2%) and α-pinene (13.2%). The monotepenes hydrocarbons (42.03%), represented mainly …”

Microwave-assisted hydrodistillation of essential oil from rosemary

“…The highest quality essential oil of R. officinalis L. is obtained from the leaves (Lo Presti et al 2005). The main producers are Turkey, Italy, Dalmatia, Spain, Greece, Egypt, France, Portugal and North Africa (Atti-Santos et al 2005), while the United States, Japan, and some of the European Union countries are the principal importers (Flamini et al 2002). Spices, herbs and their essential oils have varying degree of biological activity.…”