Evaluation of perspective drought-tolerant genotypes of hops (Humulus lupulus L.)

Thai pepper is normally obtained from two cultivars, the Sarawak and Sri Lankan which are grown locally in Thailand. This study aims to evaluated the quality of black pepper from two cultivars grown at Chantaburi, the major site of pepper plantation in Thailand by determination of pepper oil and piperine contents. Quantitative analysis of total pepper oil and piperine contents showed that the Sri Lankan cultivar (2.73%, 4.96%) contained significant higher levels of the pepper oil and piperine (α=0.05) than the Sarawak cultivar (1.78%, 3.82%). In term of pepper oil composition, the analysis by GC and GC-MS revealed that both cultivars contained approximately 30 similar components. Among these, α-pinene, β-pinene, sabinese, ∆³-carene, limonene and β-caryophyllene appeared to be the major ones. For the minor components, these could be identified and grouped as seven monoterpene hydrocarbons, eleven sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and six oxygenated terpene compounds. From these results, it is concluded that the black pepper from the Sri Lankan cultivar contains better quantity and quality of its volatile oil and piperine than that from the Sarawak cultivar. In comparison with some black pepper products from other countries, the black pepper cultivated in Thailand (both Sri Lankan and Sarawak cultivars) shows more piperine but less volatile than those from India, Brazil and Malaysia. In the maturation of pepper berries, the volatile oil and piperine contents reached their maximum at 3 month old of pepper berries and thereafter decreased. However, the optimum age of the berries to be harvested for black pepper product is 5 month old. During 2 to 6 months of pepper berries maturity, there is no significant variation (α=0.05) of the volatile oil composition. After harvesting, the black pepper can be stored at room temperature at least eight months without affecting the volatile oil content and composition.

Satureja pilosa Velen. senso lato is a Balkan endemic plant that is not well characterized and is found on rocky outcrops of limestone base in Stara Planina (the Balkan Mountains) and the Rhodope Mountains. The objective of this study was to assess the variability of essential oil (EO) content and composition of S. pilosa collected at 33 locations across the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria using advanced statistical methods including cluster analysis. The EO content in dried aboveground biomass varied from 0.52% to 2.03%. More than 21 EO constituents were identified, belonging to the groups of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The monoterpenes were the predominant class, comprising 84.8% to 96.1% of the total EO. Thymol and carvacrol were the major constituents of the phenolic monoterpenoids. Thymol varied from 36.6% to 67.1% and carvacrol varied from 52.4% to 93.0% of the total oil. p-Cymene also varied widely, from 9.6%–34.0%. There were significant variations between locations and within a location in the EO content and composition. This study identified several chemotypes: (1) thymol and p-cymene; (2) thymol, p-cymene and γ-terpinene; (3) carvacrol and p-cymene; (4) carvacrol, p-cymene and γ-terpinene; and (5) carvacrol. This is the first comprehensive study on the endemic plant S. pilosa that identified several chemotypes based on the EO composition. The S. pilosa EO from the five different chemotypes exhibited larvicidal and mosquito repellent activity against Aedes aegypti. The identified chemotypes can be utilized for the development of new varieties with desirable compositions to meet specific industry needs and new mosquito management control products.

Pepper is a major spice of commerce widely used both for its flavoring properties and as a traditional medicine in the orient. Pepper berries are commercially available in three main forms, namely, green pepper (dried unripe fruit), black pepper (cooked and dried unripe fruit), and white pepper (derived from ripe fruit seeds). Black pepper is the major spice of commerce and is one of the most common spices used in cuisines all over the world. Quality of pepper berries is decided both by their microbial status and the chemical parameters such as the content of essential oil, oleoresin, and piperine content. Various postharvest processing and preservation methods can have impact on the aforementioned parameters, thereby affecting the final quality of the product. Chemistry of black pepper has been extensively investigated. The characteristic aroma of the spice is mainly due to the inherent essential oils constituted mainly of terpenes along with other minor volatile constituents. Its spiciness/pungency has been shown to be due to the chemical compound piperine, an alkaloid. Black pepper is also rich in glycosides of phenolic acids and flavonol glycosides. Phenolic compounds, namely, 3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl ethanol glucoside and 3,4-dihydroxy-6-(N-ethyl amino) benzamide, have been identified in unripe green pepper berries and shown to contribute to the color of black pepper berries. Black pepper has been extensively used in traditional indigenous Asian system of medicine such as Ayurveda. The reported health benefits of black pepper include relieving sinus, asthma, and nasal congestion, reducing the risk of cancer, heart, and liver ailment and aiding in weight loss. It also aids in improving digestion, enhances bioavailability of food nutrients, improves cognitive functions, and reduces gastric mucosal damage and peptic ulcers due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While extensive studies have demonstrated the medicinal properties of black pepper, there is a need to have more focused studies on other pepper products, particularly green pepper. This is due to the fact that some of the newer phenolic compounds identified in green pepper and absent in black and white pepper may have novel pharmaceutical activities not reported so far. Thus, from a nutraceutical perspective besides black pepper, green pepper can also play a major role in prevention of diseases. This chapter focuses on the chemistry of black and green pepper with special emphasis on green pepper berries. Various quality parameters that can have an impact on the final acceptability of pepper products of commerce, effect of various postharvest processing methods, and quality control measures adopted will be discussed. The pharmaceutical properties of different pepper products will be discussed with a focus on the biological activities of the newer phenolic compounds identified in green pepper. Finally, the possible development of novel nutraceutical products from different pepper products for health promotion will be deliberated.

Significant influence of weather conditions on alpha acid contents in hop cones is generally accepted. Long-term monitoring of alpha acid content in hops cultivated in the region of central Europe shows notable year to year differences. Mathematical models of the relationship between alpha acid content and meteorological parameters were worked out for 'Saaz' aroma variety using data covering the years 1981-2006. Mean alpha acid content was determined by lead conductance method (EBC 7.4, toluol). Meteorological data were provided with CHMI (Czech Hydrometeorological Institute) observatory in Doksany located approximately 2 km from the farm. Using multi-linear regression, a ten parameter model has been outlined. Average temperatures from July and August, average air humidity from June, July and August, average daily sunshine duration from June, July and August and accumulated precipitation from August have been found as key input variables of the model. Correlation coefficient of the relationship between predicted and actual alpha acid contents is r=0.914, coefficient of determinancy r 2 =0.835. The model showes that alpha acid content in 'Saaz' aroma hops is influenced by weather conditions in a relatively short time period June-August, i.e. stage of flowering, cone forming and ripening. July temperatures are the most significant weather parameter (r i =-0,24) effecting alpha acid contents in 'Saaz' hops confirming empiric experience.

. In Ukraine, hops are basically processed into Type 90 pellets, that are practically indistinguishable in terms of biochemical indicators from hop cones. Pellets of hop are the single domestic source of hop products that can be serve as an alternative to imported pellets and extracts that used in the Ukraine brewing. Comprehensive studies of the evaluation of Type 90 hop pellets of aromatic and bitter varieties produced in Ukraine and European countries allowed establishing that they have different biochemical compositions and consequently, different brewing value. That have been identified differences in the absolute values of indicators such as the mass fraction of alpha acids, beta acids and their composition, xanthohumol, essential oil, the ratio of valuable hop compounds: beta acids to alpha acids and components of the essential oil. It has been determined that in hop pellets of aromatic varieties, the content of alpha acids changing from 3.3% in the Klone 18 variety to 5.9% in the Hallertauer Tradition variety. The content of beta acids, in the investigated pellets, ranges from 3.6% (Klone 18) to 6.7% in the Slavyanka variety. It is established that the hop pellets made from Ukrainian varieties Zagrava and Slavyanka have significantly higher content of beta acid 6.3% and 6.7%, respectively, compared to pellets of foreign varieties. There is a significant advantage in the resin fraction of beta acids over the fraction of alpha acids in the pellets of Slavyanka, Klone 18, Zhatetsky and Zagrava varieties, that they meaning retain a positive coefficient of aromaticity between the content of beta and alpha acids that ranges from 1.18 to 1.37. The content of alpha acids ranges from 8.7% in the Polisky variety to 14.1% in the Magnum variety in the hop pellets of bitter varieties. The content of beta acids in the same pellets ranges from 4.2% to 5.9%. It has been established that the composition of alpha and beta acids in the investigated pellets changes depending on the variety. It has been proven that Ukrainian-produced hop pellets correspond to their international counterparts in terms of their characteristics. Specifically, the biochemical and technological indicators of Klone 18 hop pellets correspond to the characteristics of pellets of the Czech variety Zhatetsky, pellets made from the bitter variety Alta correspond to the biochemical indicators of German Magnum pellets but pellets of varieties such as Slavyanka and Zagrava exceed the world analogies in terms of the composition and quality of bitter substances and essential oil. Based on the comparative biochemical characteristics of Type 90 hop pellets of Ukrainian and European production, the quality of Ukrainian hop products has been found to be at a global level. Certified domestic hop products, specifically Type 90 pellets, can be used do not only by Ukrainian brewers but also by other manufacturers to create new innovative and competitive products with various functional purposes.

Qualitative changes in hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L.) as affected by cold plasma, packaging method and storage duration

The reactions of Majorana hortensis, Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita and Thymus vulgaris were investigated in controlled conditions to compare their responses on drought stress concerning yield, essential oil (EO) content and composition. Biomass and essential oil concentration were significantly decreased in each species similarly, if they were grown at 40% level of soil water capacity (SWC) compared to the ones growing at 70% SWC. The largest changes were detected in lemon balm (4.47-fold difference in biomass, 2.78-fold difference in EO content) while the response of marjoram was the modest one (1.95-fold in biomass, 1.21-fold in EO content). We found species specific quantitative modifications in the EO composition. The ratio of terpinene-type components increased in the EO of both thyme and marjoram to the expense of their characteristic compounds thymol, carvacrol and sabinyl compounds, respectively. The composition of lemon balm and peppermint, however, did not show considerable changes.

Variability in the essential oil content and composition of 26 Iranian landraces of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), cultivated in a common environment, were studied in the present study. Production of essential oil was considerably differed (0.4 % to 1.6 % of the fruits dry weights) among the local landraces in question with a mean value of 0.84 %. Out of thirty-three identified components representing about 94.2 % to 99.8 % of the all oil samples, linalool was the prevalent constituent with the highest (89.8 %) and lowest (69.7 %) amounts in the oils from Khorram Abad and Zarand landraces, respectively. α-Terpinene (0.1–13.2 %), α-pinene (0.0–7.8 %), neryl acetate (1.3–9.1 %) and (2E)-dodecanal (0.0–10.6 %) constituted other major components of essential oils. Interrelations studies among the main constituents of essential oils and oil content of fruits by calculation of Pearson correlation coefficients revealed significant negative correlations of linalool with p-cymene (r=-0.503), λ-terpinene (r=-0.554) and (2E)-dodecanal (r=-0.435) and p-cymene with neryl acetate (r=-0.467). In contrast, α-pinene positively correlated with p-cymene (r=0.566) and λ-terpinene (r=0.406) and there were no significant correlations between the oil content of fruits and important essential oils components. Because variation observed in the chemical composition of studied landraces can mainly attributed to their genetic background, selection of landraces with special aroma and/or activities is possible and they could be further exploited for use in relevant industries or as starting material for use in the breeding programs of this plant.

The variation in quantity and quality of the essential oils of garden sage (Salvia officinalis L.) collection, cultivated at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research in Gatersleben, Germany, was studied. The aerial parts of 10 individual plants per accession (19 accessions) were collected at the beginning of the flowering period in two consecutive years from the same experimental field, and essential oil (EO) content and composition were analysed. The EO quantity was in the ranges 0.3–2.2% w/w in the first year and 0.9–2.5% w/w in the second year. The highest EO content was observed in a Croatian accession. The mean EO quantities in the second year were 1–1.6‐fold higher than in the first year, and the correlation between the two years' EO content was 0.77. The essential oil composition was not variable from 2007 to 2008 and was comparable to results already published, with the exception of two accessions from Romania with viridiflorol as dominant compound and low amounts of α‐ and β‐thujone, representing a new Salvia officinalis chemotype which would be ideal and safer for drinks and meals. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The essential oil composition of medicinal and aromatic plants may be affected by several factors, such as physiological stages, genetics and agronomic practices. The objective of the current study was to evaluate German chamomile (Matricaria chamomile L.) essential oil content and composition changes during the day by harvesting the flowers at different time (8:00-10:00 am, 10:00-12:00 am, 12:00-14:00 pm, 14:00-16:00 pm, 16:00-18:00 pm and 18:00-20:00 pm, 121 days after seedling transplantation). For each sample essential oil was separately extracted by hydro-distillation and the fixed oil by extraction with hexane, then chemical composition of essential oil was analyzed by GC-MS. The essential oil percentage in chamomile flowers sampled at different time of the day were found as 0.812% for 8:00-10:00 am, 1.11% for 10:00-12:00 am, 0.952% for 12:00-14:00 pm, 0.806% for 14:00-16:00 pm, 0.908% for 16:00-18:00 pm and 0.652% for 18:00-20:00 pm. Harvesting between 10:00 and 12:00 pm showed the highest essential oil percentage (1.11 %), whereas flower collection between 18:00 and 20:00 pm indicated the minimum essential oil percentage (0.65%). The changes in essential oil phytochemical profile suggest the crucial effect of harvesting time on essential oil composition. The most abundant compounds were (E)-anethole, α-bisabolone oxide A and α- bisabolol oxide B in samples harvested in the morning and (E)-β-farnesene, α-bisabolol oxide A, occidol acetate and chamazulene in samples harvested at noon and in the afternoon. According to these results it can be deduced that if higher essential oil content is desired harvesting should be performed at noon and accomplished in one day.

Common valerian is a medicinal plant. The underground organs of this species are used as a mild sedative and sleeping aid. Poland is one of the largest producers of this raw material in Europe, with local cultivar 'Lubelski' as a primary cultivated form. Although valerian is the subject of more or less deliberate selection carried out by farmers, it is still genetically unstable. The aim of this study was to determine the diversity of the 'Lubelski' cultivar originating from four regions of Poland (forms: L1-L4) in relation to wild-growing populations of the species. The plants were assessed in terms of the mass of underground organs and the content of valerenic acids and essential oils (EOs). The content of valerenic acids was determined using HPLC, whereas the content of EOs was determined using hydrodistillation. The composition of EOs was assessed using GC-MS GC-FID. The ploidy level of the analyzed objects was determined as well. Wild-growing populations (diploids) were characterized by lower masses of underground organs and lower contents of valerenic acid than cultivated forms (tetraploids). However, they produced higher contents of EOs. All the cultivated forms were strongly diversified with respect to the analyzed traits, including the mass of the roots (CV 49-75%), the content of valerenic acids (CV 18-55%), and the content of EOs (CV 28-57%). A total of 44 compounds were identified in the EOs. The dominant compound of both wild-growing populations and the 'Lubelski' forms were: α-fenchene, bornyl acetate, and valerenal. Among 'Lubelski' forms, the most interesting seems to be the L2 form, which was characterized by a relatively high yield and high content of valerenic acids and EOs. Thus, it appears to be a promising source of objects for further valerian cultivar improvement.

SummaryA novel decontamination method, a modification of the well‐known vacuum‐steam‐vacuum (VSV) procedures characterised by a rapid evacuation after a short‐steam treatment, is presented and tested with natural inoculated whole black pepper (1 × 107–6 × 107 CFU g−1) as model material. The reduction of aerobic mesophile bacteria as well as moisture, volatile oil content and volatile oil composition were investigated. The pepper was treated at steam temperatures of 100–130 °C and steam treatment‐times of 5–20 s. A steam treatment of 10 s at 125 °C or 20 s at 120 °C resulted in a decontamination rate of 3 logs CFU. The decontamination results of the steam treatments for 10, 15 and 20 s were almost identical, which may follow a so‐called mechanical effect. For all tests carried out changes in moisture and volatile oil content were acceptable. Changes in the volatile oil composition were not detectable.

In order to investigate plant density and application rates of vermicompost on essential oil content and composition of Balm, the experiment was conducted during 6 months in Dineh phytomedic company in 2010. This experiment was carried out in complete randomized block design with 3 replications at three plant densities (6, 8 and 10 plant/m2) and four application rates of vermicompost (0, 5, 10 and 15 ton/ha). In floral imitation, plants harvested and essential oil were extracted by water distillation. The essential oils were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The results showed a significant difference (%1) among plant densities and application rates of vermicompost on essential oil yield. maximum amount of essential oil obtained from 10 plant/m2 and 10 ton/ha vermicompost consumption. Identification of essential oil components showed that plant density had no effect on essential oil composition but some compounds of the oil decreased with more application of vermicompost, whereas some other compounds increased with most application of vermicompost.

Changes in essential oils (EOs) content and composition of lemon verbena leave at different packaging methods (packaged with air, nitrogen, or under vacuum) and during storage period (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 months) were determined. All the samples were hydrodistilled every 2 months during storage for EO content evaluation. EO composition was determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The results showed that by extending the storage period in all packaging methods, EO content was significantly decreased. Parallel to the increase in the storage duration in all packaging methods, citral content was decreased, whereas the amounts of limonene and 1,8‐cineole were increased. Packaging of lemon verbena leaves with nitrogen preserved the highest EO content during 8 months of storage and achieved the desired amounts of citral, limonene, and 1,8‐cineole. This investigation also showed camphene may be a useful marker for the indication of storage duration of lemon verbena.

Pepper is a type of spice plant in Indonesia that used for cooking spices. One of the advantages of this spice is that it has a spicy taste and distinctive scent caused by piperine and essential oils contained in pepper seeds. This research was carried out from June 2018 to October 2019, using the main raw material for the Natar 1 variety of pepper. The pepper seed was processed into black pepper and white pepper, and the yield was calculated. Then observed levels of piperine and essential oils of black pepper and white pepper prior to and a year after storage. The data obtained were processed in a qualitative descriptive manner. The results showed that after 12 months of storage, there was a decrease in piperine content of 9.91% and a decrease in essential oil content of 21.77%; while white pepper decreased piperine content by 19.45% and essential oil content decreased by 56.91%. Based on the results of this study, good storage technology is needed to support the sustainability of the availability of black pepper and white pepper in particular, as well as pepper farming in general.