Intermedia Emeric Research Articles

Do essential oils suppress potato sprout growth?

Worldwide, potatoes are an essential food crop; however, substantial post-harvest losses due to sprouting during storage have been a significant issue. Chemical sprout suppressants have been widely used to extend potato dormancy and reduce or eliminate sprouting in storage. However, chlorpropham (CIPC), the most effective and the most widely used chemical suppressant worldwide has been banned in the European Union and other countries due to potential health and environmental risks. Essential oils (EOs) from various plants have been investigated and are being used as environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic chemical suppressors. This study aimed to investigate EOs that were not previously tested for preventing potato sprout suppression at room temperature. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of twenty EOs in three potato cultivars, Ranger Russet, Terra Rosa, and TrailBlazer minitubers, on the suppression of sprouts at room temperature. The results showed that Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J. Presl and Origanum majorana L. EOs suppressed sprouting in all potato cultivars throughout the storage period while maintaining potato quality during storage. Furthermore, Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel. EO showed the ability to shorten and restrict sprouts relative to the controls. The GC analysis of C. camphora EO identified eight constituents with linalool being the dominant one at 95.5 %, whereas the main EO constituents of O. majorana were terpinen-4-ol (40.3 %), γ-terpinene (14.6 %), sabinene (7.2 %), α-terpinene (6.9 %), para cymene (6.2 %), and limonene (4.1 %) in addition to other compounds. 1,8-Cineole and linalool were the major compounds in L. x intermedia EO. This work is the first report on these specific EOs as sprout suppressors. These EOs offer a potential for environmentally safe substitutes to conventional sprout inhibitors for potato storage and could be utilized in the development of commercial products for potato sprout control at room temperature.

Essential oils of lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) of Spain: A case study on clones ´Grosso´ and ´Super´

Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) is a sterile natural hybrid obtained from the crossing of lavender (L. angustifolia Mill.) and spike lavender (L. latifolia Medik.), and its cultivation has gained great importance in Spain. This work is aimed to study the chemical composition of essential oils (EOs) of lavandin from clones ´Grosso´ and ´Super´ cultivated in Spain. For this purpose, 215 EOs, obtained by steam distillation between 2016 and 2022 in agricultural farms located in 13 provinces of Spain, were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) in three public R&D centers: the Regional Institute for Agrifood and Forestry Research and Development of Castilla-La Mancha (IRIAF), the Agrarian Technological Institute of Castilla y León (ITACyL) and the Agrifood Research and Technology Center of Aragon (CITA). The chemical composition of the EO of lavandin showed great inter- and intra-varietal variability, with the main compounds being linalool, linalyl acetate, camphor and 1,8-cineole. The results showed that the contents of camphor and 1,8-cineole were higher in ´Grosso´ (7.2% vs 5.0% and 5.7% vs 3.8%, respectively), while those of linalool and linalyl acetate were higher in ´Super´ (35.8% vs 34.2% and 33.7% vs 27.2%). Among minor compounds, the lavandin 'Super' exhibited a higher content of β-Z-ocimene and β-E-ocimene, and a lower content of terpinen-4-ol compared to 'Grosso´. Additionally, eleven compounds of lavandin 'Grosso' were compared within the ranges established by ISO 8902:2009 standard, revealing that only 18% of the samples complied with it for all of these compounds. In this sense, the contents of α-terpineol, linalool and lavandulyl acetate were above the upper limit of the standard in respectively 49%, 23% and 21% of the samples. On the contrary, 36% of the samples for β-Z-ocimene and 32% for linalyl acetate were below the range of this regulation. Unfortunately, these discrepancies with the ISO regulation exclude numerous EOs from the market despite their value in different sectors like perfumery, cosmetics, aromatherapy, phytosanitary or pharmacy. This work could serve as a guidance and/or reference study of Spanish essential oil of ´Grosso´ and ´Super´ clones for stakeholders involved in the lavandin EO market.

Insecticidal activity of essential oils derived from lavender, laurel and peppermint against lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius, 1792) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)

Fumigant effects of the essential oils from Laurus nobilis L., 1753 (Laurales: Lauraceae), Mentha piperita L., 1753 and Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel, 1828 (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) were determined using the lesser grain borer [Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius, 1792) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae)], an important pest species of stored grains. The experiments were conducted in the 2021 in the Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Malatya Turgut Özal University. The experiments were conducted in a controlled-climate chamber at 27 ± 1°C, 50 ± 10% RH and in the dark. The fumigant effects of essential oils were determined at five concentrations (1, 5, 20, 50 and 200 μl/L air) with larva, pupa and adult stages of R. dominica. The highest fumigant effect was with R. dominica larvae was complete mortality with 200 μl/L L. nobilis essential oil and for the adults, 200μl/L of either L. nobilis and M. piperita essential oil also caused complete mortality. However, the complete mortality of pupal stage was not obtained and the highest mortality was 49% with L. nobilis. As a result, it is considered that both L. nobilis and M. piperita essential oils have the potential to be used as effective biofumigants for stored product pests.

Molecular genetic diversity of Lavandula × intermedia Emeric. ex Loisel. in the Nikita Botanical Garden’s collection detected by microsatellite markers

ISHS IX International Scientific and Practical Conference on Biotechnology as an Instrument for Plant Biodiversity Conservation (physiological, biochemical, embryological, genetic and legal aspects) Molecular genetic diversity of Lavandula × intermedia Emeric. ex Loisel. in the Nikita Botanical Garden’s collection detected by microsatellite markers

Characterization and Valorization of the Agricultural Waste Obtained from Lavandula Steam Distillation for Its Reuse in the Food and Pharmaceutical Fields.

The main focus of the current research was the characterization of the by-products from the steam distillation of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (LA) and Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel (LI) aerial parts, as they are important sources of bioactive compounds suitable for several applications in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. The oil-exhausted biomasses were extracted and the total polyphenol and flavonoid contents were, respectively, 19.22 ± 4.16 and 1.56 ± 0.21 mg/g for LA extract and 17.06 ± 3.31 and 1.41 ± 0.10 mg/g for LI extract. The qualitative analysis by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) revealed that both the extracts were rich in phenolic acids and glycosylated flavonoids. The extracts exhibited radical scavenging, chelating, reducing activities, and inhibitory capacities on acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase. The IC50 values against acetylcholinesterase and tyrosinase were, respectively, 5.35 ± 0.47 and 5.26 ± 0.02 mg/mL for LA, and 6.67 ± 0.12 and 6.56 ± 0.16 mg/mL for LI extracts. In conclusion, the oil-exhausted biomasses demonstrated to represent important sources of bioactive compounds, suitable for several applications in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.

Lavender sensitivity to water stress: Comparison between eleven varieties across two phenological stages

Essential oils from Lavandula angustifolia Mill. and Lavandula x intermedia Emeric x Loisel composed of concentrated terpene mixtures, and are highly produced due to their economic value. In the Mediterranean area, the production is threatened by the increasing frequency and intensity of drought events, leading to the loss of crops. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the response to water stress and the tolerance of the main French cultivated varieties of L. angustifolia and L. x intermedia during flowering period, based on the response of their primary metabolic traits (e.g. growth, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance) and specialized metabolic traits (terpene storage and emissions related to the plant defense system). Two treatments were applied: a control where plants received 300 mL every day (≈75% of substrate field capacity) and a stress where plants received 100 mL every two days (≈25% of substrate field capacity). Our results showed that both species featured a drought-tolerant strategy to cope with water stress with a more competitive strategy in L. angustifolia. Water deficit modified the amounts of stored terpenes in both species which could be economically harmful for the sector related to essential oil production. Moreover, some compounds such as bornyl acetate were highlighted as potential defense compounds. The study also highlighted that the varieties ‘Rapido’ (L. angustifolia), arecent variety developed in France, and ‘Sumian’ (L. x intermedia), could be the best candidates to cultivate under intense drought.

Adventitious Rooting of Lavandula x intermedia Cuttings

Abstract Due to challenges associated with lavender propagation, Texas hybrid lavender (lavandin) growers require revised propagation information. Therefore, experiments investigated effects of media and plant growth regulators (PGR) on rooting of three different lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) cultivars. PGRs applied to cuttings were naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), or indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) at three concentrations. In addition, four rooting media were examined. Cuttings exposed to a peat moss/sand medium had the greatest mean overall rooting percentage, number of roots, and regardless of cultivar, cuttings exposed to the peat moss/sand medium had the longest roots. In general, mean rooting data were also greatest for cuttings dipped in NAA at 0.5 and 1.0 g·L−1 (500 and 1000 ppm, respectively). Overall, across all media and PGR treatments ‘Grosso' cuttings tended to have the greatest rooting percentage and longest roots. In addition, compared to the no PGR treatment, ‘Provence' and ‘Hidcote Giant' cuttings exposed to the peat moss/sand medium and greater PGR concentrations produced cuttings with an increased mean rooting percentage and longer roots. When rooting lavandin cultivars, results indicate correct media selection, PGR formulation, and PGR concentration determine propagation success. Index words: lavandin, Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel, peat moss, perlite, rooting percentage, root quality, sand. Chemicals used in this study: indole-3-butyric acid (IBA; 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g.L−1); naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA; 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g.L−1). Species used in this study: ‘Grosso', ‘Provence', and ‘Hidcote Giant' lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.).

THE FLORAL AND SCENT CHARACTERISTICS OF LAVANDIN FROM THE MICROPROPAGATION AND CUTTING PROPAGATION

Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) is one of the most valuable species for the fragrance industries due to its extraordinary scent. This research was carried out to compare the floral and scent characteristics from the micropropagation and cutting propagation in field conditions for four years between 2014 and 2017 in Isparta-a city in the south-western part of Turkey, which is called “The Lavender Valley of Turkey”. The experiment was arranged according to a randomized complete-block design with three replications. In comparison with the propagation methods, the yield and floral characteristics of the micropropagation were higher than the cutting propagation. The fresh stem flower yield, the dried flower yield, and the examined characteristics of the lavandin were higher in the subsequent years compared to the previous years. While the highest plant height (90.10 cm), the spike length (10.16 cm), the leaf length (56.16 mm), the spike number per plant (479.0 spike plant-1), the cluster number per spike (10.70 cluster spike-1), the fresh stem flower yield (7791.0 kg ha-1), and the dried flower yield (2054.6 kg ha-1) were obtained from the micropropagation method in the year 2017, the lowest values of these characteristics were determined from the cutting propagation in 2014. The essential oil contents of the lavandin were not significantly different in both propagation methods. The essential oil contents of fresh stem flower and the dried flower of lavandin were decreased in the subsequent years, and the highest essential oil content (1.27 and 7.36%, respectively) was determined from 2014, and the lowest essential oil content (1.21 and 6.92%, respectively) from 2017. The linalool, linalyl acetate, camphor, α-terpineol, and borneol L were close to each other in both propagation methods, while the eucalyptol content of the micropropagation was higher than the cutting propagation.

Phytochemicals from the genus Lavandula: a review

The genus Lavandula occurs naturally in the Mediterranean basin and its species are a rich source of phytochemicals. Species of this genus have attracted great interest, especially those such as fine lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Miller) and its natural hybrid lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel), which are cultivated for their essential oils, widely used in perfumery and cosmetics. Peer-reviews regarding lavender volatile compounds are available, however other, non-volatile, secondary metabolites of the genus Lavandula are poorly studied. In this review, the reader will find a brief outline of the taxonomy and morphology of the Lavandula genus, along with a comprehensive description of the volatile compounds isolated or putatively identified in the genus Lavandula, including triterpenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids and benzofurans. Overall, the elaboration of a detailed list reveals that 548 specialized metabolites have been described in Lavandula species. This review may be used as a scientific basis for future studies on the genus Lavandula, especially in chemical ecology and metabolomics where compound identification remains a limiting step.

Phytochemical Composition and In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils from the Lamiaceae Family against Streptococcus agalactiae and Candida albicans Biofilms.

The antimicrobial activity of different essential oils (EOs) from the Lamiaceae family was evaluated on Streptococcus agalactiae, Candida albicans, and lactobacilli. S. agalactiae is the main cause of severe neonatal infections, such as sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia. C. albicans is a primary causative agent of vulvovaginal candidiasis, a multifactorial infectious disease of the lower female reproductive tract. Lactobacilli represent the dominant bacterial species of the vaginal flora and constitute the natural defense against pathogens. On the basis of the preliminary results, the attention was focused on the EOs from Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel. and Mentha arvensis L. By using gas ghromatography (GS) retention data and mass spectra, it was possible to identify more than 90% of the total composition of the EO samples. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and anti-biofilm activity of the two EOs were determined against all isolated strains, using the EOs by themselves or in combination with each other and with drugs (erythromycin and fluconazole). The results showed a good antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of both EOs and a synergistic effect, leading to the best results against all the strains, resulted using the combinations EOs/EOs and antimicrobials/EOs.

Effects of variety and growth year on the essential oil properties of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) and lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.)

Essential oil (EO) properties of six L. angustifolia (LA) and two L. x intermedia (LI) cultivars were evaluated during summer harvest periods of 2017 and 2018, The cultivars were grown in Dörgicse, Hungary. According to our results, the essential oil (EO) content was highly dependent on the varieties in both experimental years (2017: p < 0.0001 and 2018: p < 0.0001). In 2017, the EO content values of LI accessions were all higher than those of the LA cultivars. However, in 2018, the mean EO content value of ‘Budakalászi’ (LA) (8.2 mL/100g) exceeded that of ‘Grosso’ (LI) (7.7 mL/100g). The EO of ‘Mailette’ (LA) and ‘Budakalászi’ (LA) contained the highest linalool proportions (52.9% and 47.0%) while ‘Beate’ (LA) showed the lowest (18.1%); and this latter variety was richest in linalyl-acetate (58.9%). LI varieties produced lower linalyl acetate and total ester ratios in comparison to the LA cultivars. Concerning EO composition, only the UK varieties ‘Hidcote Blue’ (LA) and ‘Munstead’ (LA) met the requirements of the Ph. Eur.This study provided evidence that the effect of growth year on the EO content was significant only in two varieties out of the eight. However, in the more rainy year 2018, the accumulation of linalool and linalyl acetate was significantly affected in several cases, where linalool proportions decreased and linalyl acetate ratios increased.

Researches on Cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Kayseri

This study comprises the results of demonstrative studies on some medicinal and aromatic plants carried out by Kayseri Directorate of Provincial Agriculture and Forestry under the field conditions in 2015-2017 within the Project of Improving the Medicinal-Aromatic and Dye Plants Cultivations, funded by General Directorate of Plant Production (BUGEM). In this project, five different plants consisting of lavandin ( Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel), lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis L.), oregano ( Origanum onites L.), salep ( Orchis sancta and Serapias womeraceae ), and black cumin ( Nigella sativa ) were studied in 11 counties for three years. Desired results were obtained from lavandin, lemon balm, black cumin and oregano plants under the ecological conditions of Kayseri. In terms of cultivation of black cumin, there were not any considerable problems except for weeds affecting sufficient yields. The weed problem was primarily orginated by not having herbicides authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Although application of different planting times and mulching methods in salep plants, desired results couldn’t be obtained because of the harsh winter conditions and frost damage.

Lavantada Kuru Demet Çiçeğin Vazo Ömrü Üzerine Bir Çalışma

This research was carried out during July-2016 and&#x0D; March-2017 with aim to determination of usability as dry bundle flower of&#x0D; ‘Raya’, ‘Munstead’, ‘Silver’, ‘Vera’, ‘Sevtopolis’ and ‘Super Blue’ lavanders&#x0D; belong to Lavandula angustifolia Mill.&#x0D; species and ‘Giant Hidcote’, ‘Dutch’, ‘Super A’, ‘Grosso’ and ‘Abrial’ lavandin&#x0D; belong to Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Lois. species for 4&#x0D; years. Lavender cultivars, harvested at full flowering period in middle of&#x0D; July-2016, were storage 8 months at room temperature (24±2 oC).&#x0D; Measurements were done in the middle each month during eight months. The spike&#x0D; length 3.77-12.37 cm, the stem length with spike16.8-41.7 cm, the cluster number per spike 4.5-11.0 number spike-1, the dry weight rate&#x0D; 33.21-49.00 % and spill rate 0.72-2.96%&amp;nbsp;&#x0D; between varied&amp;nbsp; and generally&#x0D; spill rate was decreased from 1st month towards 8th month&#x0D; (varied between 0.02 and 0.60%). The highest L value showing the brightness of&#x0D; lavender flowers were determined in L.&#x0D; angustifolia var. Raya with 46.5 h0, +a value showing red color&#x0D; tone from L. angustifolia var. Super&#x0D; Blue with 3.26 h0 and –b value showing blue color tone from L. angustifolia var. Silver cultivars&#x0D; with 7.10 h0. While L and –b value of lavender cultivars were&#x0D; increased from 1st month towards 8th month, + a value was&#x0D; increased. Raya, Super Blue, Giant Hidcote and Sevtopolis cultivars were&#x0D; determined as favorable dry bundle flower species with more brightly colored&#x0D; and non-spill flower/ bud.

BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE SUBSTANCES OF LAVANDULA X INTERMEDIA EMERIC EX LOISEL (LAMIACEAE)

Data about qualitative and quantitative composition of biologically active substances (volatile and phenolic compounds) in water- ethanol extract of Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel (Lamiaceae) cv. ‘Bora’ bred in Nikitsky Botanical Garden are presented in the article. Concentration of volatile compounds in Lavandin extract was 398 mg/dm3 and 51 components were identified. Main volatiles in Lavandin cv. «Bora» extract were linalyl acetate (36,9%) and linalool (33,5%). Content of phenolic compounds in water- ethanol extract of Lavandin was 945 mg/dm3 and 14 components were found out. Among the variety of Lavandin cv. ‘Bora’ phenolic compounds luteolin-7-O-glycoside and п-coumaric acid are predominated. The conclusion about possible use of Lavandin cv. ‘Bora’ for creation of food, cosmetic, therapeutic and preventive products is made.

Contact, Repellency and Ovicidal Effects of Four Lamiaceae Plant Essential Oils against Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) is an important pests in the world. Many plant essential oils show a broad spectrum of activity against pests. The usage of essential oils in two spotted spider mite control is seen as an alternative to pesticides. This study investigated the contact and repellency effects of Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel., Salvia officinalis L., Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Hyssopus officinalis L. essential oils on Tetranychus urticae. The chemical composition of the four essential oils was characterized by GC-MS. In this study, 1, 5, 10 and 20 ml/l concentrations of essential oils were used to conduct adult and nymph period applications on two spotted spider mite through leaf disc-spray tower method. In addition, the ovicidal effect of essential oils on Tetranychus urticae eggs was evaluated. It was found that in all concentrations of the essential oils of lavandin, sage, rosemary and hyssop essential oils had high contact effect on T. urticae adults and nymphs especially at the 48 and 96 h. It was found that the repellency effect of all concentrations of essential oils was higher against nymphs of two spotted spider mites than on the adults. Moreover, it was found that the essential oils of lavandin, sage, rosemary and hyssop had ovicidal effects on T. urticae eggs; the highest ovicidal effect was found in lavandin, and the lowest effect was found in sage. The data may suggest that essential oils of all four Lamiaceae plants can potentially be used for the management of Tetranychus urticae.

Effect of Moisture Contents on Physical-Mechanical Properties of Lavandin (Lavandula X Intermedia Emeric Ex Loisel.)

:Agricultural mechanization of lavandin is limited by practical. Knowledge of the physical- mechanical properties of lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.), is necessary for the design of equipment for harvesting, transporting, cleaning, packing, storing, processing etc. In this study, we determined the effects of moisture content on physical and mechanical properties of lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.), to be applied to the design of mechanization applications. Flower and stalk dimensions, projection area, picking force, flower-to-stalk ratio, and essential oil content of lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) were investigated at three different moisture contents: 8.6 %, 12.0 %, and 16.0 % (d.b). Most parameters increased linearly with increasing moisture content. The essential oil content of lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) decreased with increasing moisture content. Moisture content had a significant effect on the physical and mechanical properties of lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.). Flower picking force of lavandin changed between 0.3 and 0.5 N and Data on flower and stalkof lavandin are used for designing agricultural machinery, while data on flower projection area are required for effective transport, cleaning, and separation oflavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.).

The influence of duration of the distillation of fresh and dried flowers on the essential oil composition of lavandin cultivated in Republic of Macedonia

The main objective of this study was to analyze the essential oil composition of cultivated lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel., Lamiaceae) from Republic of Macedonia and to evaluate the influence of the drying time of plant material and the distillation duration on the oil composition. Four different essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger type apparatus from freshly harvested and air dried flowers of lavandin and varying in distillation time (30 min and 2 h). Fifty-six compounds were identified by GC/ FID/MS representing 96.57% to 98.23% of the total oil. Prevailing constituents in all tested oils were linalool, borneol and terpinene-4-ol, present in amounts from 35.23 to 42.24%, 12.28 to 16.68% and 4.44 to 5.62%, respectively. The content of 1,8-cineole varied from 3.99% to 8.42% while that of camphor was between 5.96% and 7.04%. Linalyl acetate was present in amounts from 1.26% to 3.21%. Unexpectedly, the duration of distillation insignificantly influenced the essential oil composition. Few differences, mainly in the content of borneol (13.71% and 16.68% in the oil from fresh and dried flowers, respectively) were recorded in the essential oils obtained by 30 minutes distillation, while the content of the other constituents was almost unchanged. However, the isolated essential oils of lavandin did not comply with the international standards requirements for the lavandin essential oil composition.

Perfil químico y biológico de aceites esenciales de plantas aromáticas de interés agro-industrial en Castilla-La Mancha (España)

The chemical composition and biological activities of essential oils of Salvia officinalis L., Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl., Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel., Lavandula latifolia Medik., Lavandula angustifolia Mill. and Thymus vulgaris L. are presented. The essential oils have been analysed by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry and 61 compounds were identified, 23 of which represented more than 1% of the essential oil. The 1,8 cineole (16-23%) appeared as the main compound of Salvia sp. essential oils. The high content of α-thujone was characteristic in S. officinalis oil. Remarkable concentrations of linalool (30-33%), camphor (5-17%) and linalyl acetate (9-28%) were detected in Lavandula sp. oils while carvacrol (21.6%) and p-cimene (23.7%) were the most abundant compounds in T. vulgaris oil. Biological characterization was based on their bioplaguicide activity. The essential oils studied had strong antifeedant effects against Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, Spodoptera littoralis Boisd., Myzus persicae Sulzer and Rhopalosiphum padi L., phytotoxic activity against Lactuca sativa L. and Lolium perenne L. and also exhibited high antifungal activity against Fusarium sp. Oils from T. vulgaris and L. latifolia showed the highest levels of bioactivity against all target species. These results provide an added-value to the essential oils of aromatic plants of agro-industrial interest for its potential use in the development of natural agrochemicals.

In Vitro Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel. ‘Budrovka’

This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities of Lavandula × intermedia Emeric ex Loisel. ‘Budrovka’, an indigenous Croatian cultivar of lavandin. For that purpose the activity of ethanolic extracts of flowers, inflorescence stalks and leaves against thirty one strains of bacteria, yeasts, dermatophytes and moulds were studied using both the agar well diffusion and broth dilution assays. Among the investigated extracts found to be effective against a broad spectrum of microorganisms, the flower extract was considered to be the most potent one. Linalool and rosmarinic acid, as the most abundant constituents found, are very likely major contributors to the observed antimicrobial effects. The results suggest that flowers of lavandin ‘Budrovka’ could serve as a rich source of natural terpene and polyphenol antimicrobial agents.

Inhibitory effects of Lavandula extracts on elastase and tyrosinase

Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in the use of natural botanical extracts as active ingredients of functional cosmetic and pharmaceutical medicinal products. Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel. 'Budrovka' is an indigenous cultivar of lavandin and, together with the common lavender (L. angustifolia), it has been widely cultivated in Croatia. The present study was undertaken to evaluate and compare the possible inhibitory effects of Lavandula ethanolic extracts on elastase and tyrosinase which are important therapeutic targets. In terms of anti-ageing, finding inhibitors of elastase enzyme can be useful to prevent loss of skin elasticity and wrinkle formation, but also an anti-elastase agent may be useful in the treatment of inflammation. Inhibition of elastase activity by the leaf, flower and inflorescence stalk extracts of Lavandula x intermedia 'Budrovka' at 1 mg/mL was found to be 100%, 77.7% and 18.6%, respectively, while the inhibitory percentages for L. angustifolia extracts were 100% (leaf), 65.8% (flower) and 15.1% (inflorescence stalk). Investigation of tyrosinase inhibitors may lead to development of novel agents for the treatment of hyperpigmentation as well as skin-whitening agents. In the tyrosinase inhibition assay, flower extracts (1 mg/mL) of L. x intermedia 'Budrovka' and L. angustifolia were the most effective, exhibiting similar inhibitory effects of 70.4% and 72.9%, respectively, while the leaf and inflorescence stalk extracts exerted lower activity. According to the results of the present in vitro enzyme inhibition studies, flowers and leaves of both Lavandula taxa may be promising sources of active ingredients in dermatological preparations.