Comparison of Nutritional Compositions and Essential Oil Profiles of Different Parts of a Dill and Two Fennel Cultivars.

Yuanpeng Hao,Yuliang Chen,Rui Yang,Xiaoqi Guo,Jiamu Kang,Lei Shi,Jingyi Li

doi:10.3390/foods10081784

Abstract

Fennel and dill are widely used as food additives owing to their various biological activities, such as antioxidants, antimicrobials, food-preservatives, and seasoning capacities. Herein, the nutritional composition and essential oil (EO) chemical profiles of fruits, umbels, stalks, and roots from one dill and two fennel cultivars were evaluated. The fruits had the highest content of crude protein (≥15%), crude fat (≥8%), and phosphorus (≥0.5%), and exhibited the highest total energy (≥20 MJ/kg) and EO yield (≥2%). Moreover, estragole (86.56% in Fdf), anethole (71.17% in Fhf), fenchone (16.74% in Fhf), limonene (50.19% in Agf), and carvone (42.41% in Agf) were the main components of the EOs generated from the fruits. The chemical profiles of EOs in the roots were significantly different from those of the aerial parts of the fennel and dill; thus, the roots and aerial parts could be distinguished based on myristicin (Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) = 1.90399) and apiol (VIP = 1.85922). The EO components of the aerial parts varied remarkably, and the chemical markers for differentiating these three cultivars were anethole (VIP = 1.36571), estragole (VIP = 1.30292), and carvone (VIP = 1.11947). Overall, our results provide a noteworthy chemical basis for further development of fennel and dill, especially as food additives.

Highlights

The Apiaceae plant family comprises some of the most important medicinal and aromatic plants cultivated worldwide [1]
Abbreviations corresponding to a total of twelve samples are as follows: Foeniculum vulgare “Dwarf” (Fd) fruit (Fdf), Fd umbel (Fdu), Fd stem (Fds), Fd root (Fdr), Foeniculum vulgare “High” (Fh) fruit (Fhf), Fh umbel (Fhu), Fh stem (Fhs), Fh root (Fhr), Anethum graveolens (Ag) fruit (Agf), Ag umbel (Agu), Ag stem (Ags), Ag root (Agr)
Multivariate statistical analysis showed that essential oil (EO) extracted from root parts were significantly different from those obtained from the other parts

Summary

Introduction

The Apiaceae plant family comprises some of the most important medicinal and aromatic plants cultivated worldwide [1]. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) and dill (Anethum graveolens L.) are the most vital medicinal and aromatic plants in the Apiaceae family [2], as they are rich in fatty and amino acids, fiber, minerals, vitamins, flavonoids, phenols, and volatile components. Fennel and dill are useful for obtaining stomachic, galactagogue, carminative, and mildly diuretic substances [3,4,5,6]. They are industrially and economically valuable herbs [7,8]. Minerals play an important role in animal reproduction and are vital for healthy growth. Fennel and dill by-products can be used as feed additives to promote the healthy growth of animals, increase gastrointestinal (GI) peristalsis and intake, and improve intestinal microorganism balance [13,14]

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