In Vitro propagation affects the composition of narrow-leaved lavender essential oils

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify and determine by means of gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC–FID) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method the volatile compounds of essential oils obtained from three varieties of narrow-leaved lavender grown in the field and in in vitro cultures. The essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation in Deryng apparatus. It was found that the analyzed essential oils varied in terms of chemical composition depending on the variety and conditions of growth. Sixty-four to 87 different compounds were identified in the oils. Essential oils of all 3 varieties obtained in in vitro cultures contained large amounts of borneol (13–32%). This compound was also dominant in plants obtained from in vivo conditions in varieties Ellagance Purple (11%) and Blue River (13%), and in the Munstead variety, the dominant compound was linalool (13%). High concentration of epi-α-cadinol (10–20%) was found in essential oils obtained from in vitro cultured plants. Globulol was found in high concentration (10%) in the Munstead variety grown in in vitro conditions. However, significant quantitative and qualitative differences were found with respect to composition of essential oils obtained from plants grown in the field and in vitro conditions. There was a lack of (E)-β-ocimene, 3-octyn-2-one, 1-octen-3-yl acetate, sabina ketone, pinocarvone, trans-carveol, nerol, epi-longipinanol, or humulene epoxide II. In comparison to oils obtained from field-grown plants, the oils isolated from plants grown in in vitro conditions contained the less volatile compounds identified in the final stage of GC–FID and GC–MS analysis, i.e., thymol, carvacrol, γ-gurjunene, trans-calamene, α-calacorene, khusinol, and 8-cedren-13-ol.