Effect of Reclaimed Cultivation Regions on the Leaf, Flower and Peel Essential Oils of Dancy tangerine

Abstract

Dancy tangerine trees have been imported from abroad and successfully cultivated in some newly reclaimed areas in Egypt. Reclamation areas (arid desert areas that are converted into areas suitable for agriculture) in Egypt are located in different geographical regions that differ from each other in weather conditions and soil characteristics, which may cause changes in essential oils, and thus a diversity of their biological activity. So, the changes in Dancy tangerine essential oils and their components were investigated under the conditions of two reclaimed desert areas (west and south) of Egypt to find out the extent of opportunities for expanding its cultivation in new reclamation regions as a natural source of essential oils, because if it is successful in those areas, the production of essential oils from plants will increase. The essential oils of leaves, flowers, and peels were separated by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/MS. The statistical analysis was carried out using ANOVA-1. Different variations were found in leaf, flower, and peel essential oils under both locations. Linalool was the main component in leaf essential oil but the major component in flower and peel essential oils was limonene. Oxygenated monoterpenes was the major chemical group in leaf essential oil, while monoterpene hydrocarbons were the basic group in flower and peel essential oils. Leaf, flower, and peel essential oil contents (% or ml/kg), major components, and major groups were higher in western samples than those from southern samples. Oxygenated diterpenes group appeared in leaf essential oil and was completely absent in both flowers and peels essential oils. This research paper determined that occupation of cultivation regions in reclaimed zones leads to changes in Dancy tangerine essential oil and its components. Also, this attempt serves as a hint to know adequate cultivation region for essential oil production according to the ingredients of benefit.