EFFECT OF THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS ON YIELD AND QUALITATIVE-QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF CHAMOMILE ESSENTIAL OIL

Abstract

The form and structure of chamomile is affected by genetic factors and environmental conditions. From carbohydrates as primary metabolites which are formed in photosynthesis, secondary metabolites useful for plant immunology and communication are synthesized. Nowadays, chamomile is a most favored and much used medicinal plant throughout the world. Phytotherapeutically useful are inflorescences whereby substantial part of their curative effects is determined by the essential oil content and composition. In regard to qualitative-quantitative characteristics of essential oil with a wide range of biodiversity, several chamomile chemotypes are characterized. Besides the major influence of genetic factors, the environment has an important effect on essential oil accumulation and composition. The environmental control is modified by chamomile plant ontogeny, and many other factors outside the scope of this review, such as light intensity, day length, temperature, nutrition, irrigation, plant growth regulators, tissue cultures and their transgenic transformation, intraspecific interactions, population dynamics, parasites, diseases, pest control, interspecific competition and harvest management are also known to affect yield of chamomile essential oil and its composition. INTRODUCTION Nowadays, chamomile is a most favored and much used medicinal plant throughout the world. Phytotherapeutically useful are primarily inflorescences (flower heads or anthodia) and chamomile drug (Chamomillae Flos). A substantial part of drug effects are determined by the essential oil content and its composition. The form, structure and morphological characteristics of chamomile plants, their essential oil accumulation and quality are affected by genetic background and environmental conditions. The first time the influence of the defined factors were determined by Putievsky in 1994 on herb yield, essential oil and its composition. New recognition of these in regard to chamomile is as follows: • Genetics (origin, breeding and ploidisation, variation and biodiversity), • Morphogenesis (flowering, harvest), • Abiotic Factors (light intensity, day length, temperature, nutrition, irrigation, plant growth regulators, tissue cultures and their genetically transformation), • Biotic Factors (intraspecific interactions, population dynamics, parasites, diseases, pest control, interspecific competition and harvest management).