&lt;b&gt;The growth, photosynthetic pigments and essential oil composition of monocropped and intercropped lemon balm with yarrow

Thaís Cristina Silva,Suzan Kelly Vilela Bertolucci,Fernanda Ventorim Pacheco,José Eduardo Brasil Pereira Pinto,Diogo Mendes Da Silva Lordêllo,Heitor Luiz Heiderich Roza

doi:10.4025/actasciagron.v40i1.35506

<b>The growth, photosynthetic pigments and essential oil composition of monocropped and intercropped lemon balm with yarrow

Thaís Cristina Silva, Suzan Kelly Vilela Bertolucci + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.4025/actasciagron.v40i1.35506

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of lemon balm intercropping with yarrow on the vegetative growth, photosynthetic pigments and essential oil contents as well as the chemical composition of essential oils. Accordingly, the lemon balm and yarrow monocroppings were compared to the intercropping of both species. The plants were cultivated for 120 days under field conditions. The experimental design followed randomized blocks with seven repetitions. Growth was assessed through the accumulation of shoot dry matter and through the leaf area. The photosynthetic pigment content was set based on the fully expanded leaves from five plants in each treatment. The essential oil was extracted through the hydrodistillation of the lemon balm leaves and yarrow leaflets dehydrated in a forced ventilation oven at 40°C. The chemical analyses of the essential oils were performed using GC-FID and GC-MS. Intercropping showed a reduction of vegetative growth. However, intercropping increased the lemon balm essential oil content. On the other hand, these parameters did not change in yarrow. There were variations in the level of chemical constituents in lemon balm and yarrow essential oils, which were more evident in the major constituents.

Highlights

Melissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae), known as lemon balm, is an aromatic plant that has a smell similar to lemons (Reis, Pinto, Rosado, & Corrêa, 2009)
The experiment was conducted in the experimental site at the Agricultural Department (DAG) of Federal University of Lavras (UFLA) from November 2013 to March 2014
Intercropping of lemon balm and yarrow decreases growth in lemon balm, but it has no significant effect on yarrow

Summary

Introduction

Melissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae), known as lemon balm, is an aromatic plant that has a smell similar to lemons (Reis, Pinto, Rosado, & Corrêa, 2009). (Lamiaceae), known as lemon balm, is an aromatic plant that has a smell similar to lemons (Reis, Pinto, Rosado, & Corrêa, 2009) It is one of the most important medicinal plants since it has antioxidant, antimicrobial, spasmolytic, astringent and specific sensorial properties (Yadegari, 2016). The essential oil produced by the species has neral (α-citral) and geranial (β-citral) as major compounds, which are attributed to the plant’s medicinal properties (Luz, Silva, Habber, & Marquez, 2014; Sorensen, 2000). (Asteraceae), commonly known as yarrow, has medicinal properties and is used as a painkiller, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and antispasmodic.

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