Lavandin Essential Oil Research Articles

Chemical composition of essential oil extracted from lavender growing in Kastamonu, Türkiye

Lavender and lavender oils have been used as traditional herbal medicines for centuries. Nowadays, lavender and its essential oil are valuable materials used in many industries, e.g., food, cosmetics, perfume, sanitary products, and pharmaceuticals. Since the components of valuable oil differ depending on the growing region, these components must be identified to ascertain the oil's quality and potential uses. The essential oil composition was obtained from the stemmed fresh flowers of Kastamonu, Türkiye cultivars of lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia var. Super) via a Clevenger-type hydrodistillation apparatus. Then, the essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and 14 components were identified. Linalool and linalyl acetate were the main components, with 28.44% and 17.12%, respectively. In this study, we aimed to evaluate our results by comparing them with Pharmacopoeia Europaea and ISO standards to determine the quality of the essential oil and its possible areas of use. The findings of this study showed that lavandin essential oil is a high-quality essential oil as it contains high levels of linalool and is free of camphor. In addition, while the linalool, terpinen-4-ol, and camphor contents of the variety complied with the lavender oil standards set by ISO 3515:2002, the linalyl acetate content was found below this. Due to its high linalool content and lack of camphor, the extracted lavandin oil can be predicted to be suitable for use in the food, beverage, aroma, pharmaceutical, perfume and aromatherapy industries.

Botanical characterization and authentication of lavender essential oil using its volatile organic compounds and compound-specific carbon and hydrogen isotope ratio analysis

The determination of authenticity and provenance is one of the main issues in high-value natural products such as lavender (L. angustifolia) essential oil. Due to their high value, natural products are often totally or partially substituted with cheaper alternatives. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately characterize the composition of lavender essential oil and its related species, particularly lavandin (L. intermedia) essential oil, which is frequently used as an adulterant. In this study, we analyzed the most distinctive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their relative compound-specific stable carbon and hydrogen (δ13C and δ2H) isotope ratios in lavender, lavandin, and commercial lavender essential oil samples using fast GC-MS/MS and GC-IRMS methods and sparse Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis (sPLS-DA) to classify and verify their botanical origin. For the first time, concentration ranges for 79 VOCs and the δ13C and δ2H values in 32 VOCs were used to characterize lavender essential oils. sPLS-DA models with either VOCs, δ13C and δ2H, or in combination successfully classify lavender and lavandin with 100% accuracy. VOCs such as camphor, borneol, eucalyptol, α-bisabolol, and α-pinene were found to be the most important variables for differentiating lavender oil from lavandin. Similarly, δ13C in camphor, eucalyptol, trans-β-ocimene and 3-octanone, and δ2H in α-terpineol and trans-β-ocimene and 3-octanone also differentiated lavender and lavandin oil. In addition, we demonstrated that compound-specific δ13C and δ2H detected the adulteration of natural lavender or lavandin oil if more than 15% of linalool, linalyl acetate, eucalyptol, and α-terpineol were of synthetic origin. These preliminary results with sPLS-DA models suggest that VOCs and compound-specific δ13C and δ2H can be a promising tool for the botanical classification of lavender essential oil and the detection of possible adulteration with synthetic compounds.

Development of a new and rapid FTIR method using chemometric modeling techniques for the determination of lavandin adulteration in lavender essential oil

Lavender essential oil (LT) is subject to adulteration by malicious suppliers and is often sold mixed with the cheaper lavandin essential oil (LD). In this study, it is aimed to develop a new and rapid spectroscopic method by using chemometric modeling techniques for the qualitative and quantitative determination of LD adulteration in LT. For the discrimination of LD in LT, 36 principal component analysis (PCA) models were created and the model with the best statistical results was evaluated by the number of PCs in the explained variance and eigen value. Soft independent modeling by class analogy (SIMCA) was also employed to demonstrate the discrimination capabilities of the best PCA model. For the quantification of LD in LT, 36 partial least squares (PLS) regression models employing the spectral data were developed. To find out the best PLS model, the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), and root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) were mainly used. It was found that the best models for discrimination and quantitative analysis were those using normal spectra in the region 2200–400 cm−1 (NDSR). The results obtained showed that LD adulteration in LT could be successfully detected over a wide concentration range, thanks to the combined use of FTIR spectroscopy and chemometry without using any toxic chemicals or pretreatments.

Lavandula x intermedia-A Bastard Lavender or a Plant of Many Values? Part II. Biological Activities and Applications of Lavandin.

This review article is the second in a series aimed at providing an in-depth overview of Lavandula x intermedia (lavandin). In part I, the biology and chemistry of lavandin were addressed. In part II, the focus is on the functional properties of lavandin and its applications in industry and daily life. While reviewing the biological properties, only original research articles employing lavandin were considered. Lavandin essential oil has been found to have antioxidant and biocidal activity (antimicrobial, nematicidal, antiprotozoal, insecticidal, and allelopathic), as well as other potential therapeutic effects such as anxiolytic, neuroprotective, improving sleep quality, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic. Other lavandin preparations have been investigated to a much lesser extent. The research is either limited or inconsistent across all studies, and further evidence is needed to support these properties. Unlike its parent species-Lavandula angustifolia (LA)-lavandin essential oil is not officially recognized as a medicinal raw material in European Pharmacopeia. However, whenever compared to LA in shared studies, it has shown similar effects (or even more pronounced in the case of biocidal activities). This suggests that lavandin has similar potential for use in medicine.

In vivo evaluation of the antipsoriatic effect of hydrogel with lavandin essential oil and its main components after topical application

In our study, lavandin oil was hydrodistillated from Lavandula × intermedia (Lamiaceae), and new alginate-based hydrogel formulations containing lavandin oil, linalool, and linalyl acetate were prepared for the first time. Using the gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods fifty eight components of obtained essential oil were identified. Subsequently, the antipsoriatic activity of the created formulations was investigated by applying an imiquimod-induced mouse model. Alginate-based hydrogels were used as carriers for lavandin oil, linalool, and linalyl acetate. The histopathological examination of imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like mice ear skin stained with H&E (haematoxylin and eosin) was conducted after applying the examined formulations. Additionally, the impact of lavandin oil, linalool, and linalyl acetate on the expression of CD3 (cluster of differentiation 3), CD68 (monoclonal mouse anti-human), and Ki67 (marker of proliferation Ki-67) were studied. Histopathological studies showed that analysed formulations decreased the mice ears’ thickness and the analysed psoriasis symptoms (parakeratosis epidermal thickening, hypertrophy of the spinous layer, inflammatory infiltrates, Munro's microabscesses, Kogoj's micro-pustules, and dermal papillae oedema). The prepared formulations inhibited proliferation of the cells (Ki67 staining method) and expression of CD3 and CD68. The most potent activity against the inflammation in psoriasis was the preparation containing 5% lavandin oil.

Validation of gas chromatographic methods for lavender essential oil authentication based on volatile organic compounds and stable isotope ratios

A combination of Gas Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and Gas Chromatography-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-IRMS) methods is a powerful tool to control false declaration of various food matrices including lavender essential oil. However, the methods need to be validated to demonstrate data reliability.In the present study, we developed a GC-MS/MS method for determining volatile organic compounds in lavender essential oil. For this, a single chromatographic run was optimised to separate thirty-eight pure reference standards in<17 min using a suitable capillary column, a faster injection system, temperature ramp gradient, and acquiring mass spectra through dynamic monitoring reaction and full scan mode. The GC-MS/MS method was validated according to the “Harmonised guidelines of IUPAC” considering parameters such as linearity range, limit of detection, limit of quantification, regression coefficient, repeatability and reproducibility. The validation parameters suggested that the method was sufficiently sensitive, precise and accurate for the determination of VOCs.Moreover, we developed a GC-IRMS method to characterize the isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C) and hydrogen (δ2H) of a large selection of the VOCs present in the lavender oil. For this, different matrices of various essential oil compounds of known δ13C and δ2H values (obtained from bulk isotope ratio analysis) were analysed in the GC-IRMS. Similarly to the GC-MS/MS method, the GC-IRMS method was validated according to the recommendation by the Forensic Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Network (FIRMS). In particular, the linearity test suggested that concentrations of at least 25 mg L−1 and 200 mg L−1 were required to produce reliable δ13C and δ2H values, respectively. Both δ13C and δ2H values were satisfactorily repeatable, reproducible and accurate. As expected, precision and accuracy of the δ2H were lower than those of the δ13C.Finally, the practical applicability of the methods was confirmed by the analysis of 3 lavender and 3 lavandin essential oil samples. We quantified the concentrations of 71 VOCs and the δ13C value of 32 and δ2H value of 30 compounds in real essential oil samples. These preliminary results showed that the combination of GC-MS/MS and GC-IRMS is potentially useful for botanical classification between lavender and lavandin essential oils thus representing an additional powerful tool for assessing the authenticity of commercial essential oils.

Essential Oil Content and Compositional Variability of Lavandula Species Cultivated in the Mid Hill Conditions of the Western Himalaya.

The increase in the utilization of Lavandula essential oil in industries led to an impressive rise in the demand for quality essential oils. However, a post-harvest drying of Lavandula species can be a decisive factor to determine the quantity and quality of essential oil. The study was conducted in western Himalayan conditions to assess the essential oil content and composition of two Lavandula species viz., lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.), and lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia Emeric ex Loisel), at four different drying duration (0 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after the harvest). The higher growth attributes viz., plant height (71.7 cm), ear length (8.8 cm), number of spikes (18.1), and number of flowers per ear (47.5) were higher in lavandin, while the number of branches (17.1) was higher in lavender. Essential oil content (%) and moisture reduction (%) were significantly higher at 72 h than at 0 h. The major components of lavender and lavandin essential oil were linalool (33.6–40.5%), linalyl acetate (10.8–13.6%), lavandulyl acetate (2.8–14.5%), and linalyl propionate (5.3–14.1%) in both the Lavandula species. There was a decreasing trend in linalool and an increasing trend in linalyl acetate content in lavandin, with an increase in drying duration up to 72 h; while in lavender, no regular trend was observed in linalool and linalyl acetate content. It was observed that linalool and linalyl acetate levels were the highest at 24 and 0 h of drying in lavender and lavandin, respectively, and essential oil extraction can be done according to the desire of the constituent at varied drying duration.

Weather Conditions Influence on Lavandin Essential Oil and Hydrolate Quality

Lavandula sp. essential oil and hydrolate are commercially valuable in various industry branches with the potential for wide-ranging applications. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of these products obtained from L. x intermedia cv. ‘Budrovka’ for the first time cultivated on Fruška Gora Mt. (Serbia) during three successive seasons (2019, 2020, and 2021). Essential oil extraction was obtained by steam distillation, and the composition and influence of weather conditions were also assessed, using flowering tops. The obtained essential oils and hydrolates were analysed by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A linear regression model was developed to predict L. x intermedia cv. ‘Budrovka’ essential oil volatile compound content and hydrolate composition during three years, according to temperature and precipitation data, and the appropriate regression coefficients were calculated, while the correlation analysis was employed to analyse the correlations in hydrolate and essential oil compounds. To completely describe the structure of the research data that would present a better insight into the similarities and differences among the diverse L. x intermedia cv. ‘Budrovka’ samples, the PCA was used. The most dominant in L. intermedia cv. ‘Budrovka’ essential oil and hydrolate were oxygenated monoterpenes: linalool, 1,8-cineole, borneol, linalyl acetate, and terpinene-4-ol. It is established that the temperature was positively correlated with all essential oil and hydrolate compounds. The precipitations were positively correlated with the main compounds (linalool, 1,8-cineole, and borneol), while the other compounds’ content negatively correlated to precipitation. The results indicated that Fruška Gora Mt. has suitable agro-ecological requirements for cultivating Lavandula sp. and providing satisfactory essential oil and hydrolate.

Qualitative Variations of Lavandin Essential Oil under Various Storage Conditions

Essential oils (EOs) are widely used in products related to human health. Thus, providing an optimum storage condition to preserve their quality and stability is very important. The effects of various duration and storage conditions on lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia L.) EO was investigated as used the raw material of aromatherapy and health products. The watery and dehydrated samples were stored in laboratory temperature (24±2°C), refrigerator (+4°C) and freezer (-18°C) for 100 and 200 days. Also, a sample of watery and a sample of dehydrated EO were exposed to air at laboratory temperature. GC/FID-MS analyses were performed to determine the variations in the components of the stored EOs. Linalool (39.49-45.81 %) was the major component in all samples. The other main components were camphor (9.95-14.68 %), borneol (8.77-12.45 %), 4-terpineol (6.12-9.51 %), 1,8-cineole (1.27-6.79 %), linalyl acetate (3.45-4.02 %), cis-linalool oxide (0.30-4.39 %) and trans-linalool oxide (0.19-4.03 %). Due to the evaporation and conversion processes, most of the components had a decreasing or increasing tendency during the storage period. Also, components such as α-pinene, camphene, β-myrcene, γ-terpinene, α-terpinolene, trans-sabinene hydrate and D-carvone disappeared during the oxidation process. Based on observations, storage time and temperature, water presence, atmospheric gases and possibly light had destructive effects on the concentration of lavandin EO components. It can be estimated that the molecular weight, molecular structure and boiling point caused the oscillation of lavandin EO constituents under various storage conditions. According to the findings, the best storage conditions for lavandin EO were low temperature and the absence of atmospheric gases and water.

Chemical Investigation and Screening of Anti-Proliferative Activity on Human Cell Lines of Pure and Nano-Formulated Lavandin Essential Oil.

Lavandin essential oil (LEO), a natural sterile hybrid obtained by crossbreeding L. angustifolia × L. latifolia, is mainly composed by active components belonging to the family of terpenes endowed with relevant anti-proliferative activity, which can be enhanced by proper application of nanotechnology. In particular, this study reports the chemical characterization and the screening of the anti-proliferative activity on different human cell lines of pure and nano-formulated lavandin essential oil (EO). LEO and its formulation (NanoLEO) were analyzed by HS/GC-MS (Headspace/Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) to describe and compare their chemical volatile composition. The most abundant compounds were linalool and 1,8-cineole (LEO: 28.6%; 27.4%) (NanoLEO: 60.4%; 12.6%) followed by α-pinene (LEO: 9.6%; NanoLEO: 4.5%), camphor (LEO: 6.5%; NanoLEO: 7.0%) and linalyl acetate (LEO: 6.5%; NanoLEO: 3.6%). The cytotoxic effects of LEO and NanoLEO were investigated on human neuroblastoma cells (SHSY5Y), human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7), human lymphoblastic leukemia cells (CCRF CEM), human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2) and one normal breast epithelial cell (MCF10A) by the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide)-assay. Caco-2, MCF7 and MCF10A normal cells resulted more resistant to the treatment with LEO, while CCRF-CEM and SHSY5Y cells were more sensitive. The antiproliferative effect of LEO resulted amplified when the essential oil was supplied as nanoformulation, mainly in Caco-2 cells. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy investigations were carried out on Caco-2 cells to outline at ultrastructural level possible affections induced by LEO and NanoLEO treatments.

Apoptotic Effects on HL60 Human Leukaemia Cells Induced by Lavandin Essential Oil Treatment.

Recent scientific investigations have reported a number of essential oils to interfere with intracellular signalling pathways and to induce apoptosis in different cancer cell types. In this paper, Lavandin Essential Oil (LEO), a natural sterile hybrid obtained by cross-breeding L. angustifolia × L. latifolia, was tested on human leukaemia cells (HL60). Based on the MTT results, the reduced cell viability of HL60 cells was further investigated to determine whether cell death was related to the apoptotic process. HL60 cells treated for 24 h with LEO were processed by flow cytometry, and the presence of Annexin V was measured. The activation of caspases-3 was evaluated by western blot and immunofluorescence techniques. Treated cells were also examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy to establish the possible occurrence of morphological alterations during the apoptotic process. LEO main compounds, such as linalool, linalyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, and terpinen-4-ol, were also investigated by MTT and flow cytometry analysis. The set of obtained results showed that LEO treatments induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent, but not time-dependent, manner on HL60 cells, while among LEO main compounds, both terpinen-4-ol and linalyl acetate were able to induce apoptosis.

Evaluation of diatomaceous earth formulations enhanced with natural products against stored product insects

The insecticidal effect of prepared insecticide formulations labelled as Natural P, Inert Natural P and Py EC on Sitophilus oryzae, Rhyzopertha dominica and Tribolium castaneum have been evaluated on wheat grains. Formulation Natural P contains diatomaceous earth (DE), amorphous silica gel (3%), pyrethrin, flax oil, lavandin essential oil (EO) and un-activated yeast. Formulation Inert Natural P contains DE, amorphous silica gel, lavandin EO and food grade bait whereas formulation Py EC contains pyrethrin, piperonyl butoxide (PBO), flax oil, polysorbate, methyl oleate and amorphous silica gel (5%). Celatom® MN-51 (diatomaceous earth – DE) was used as a standard insecticide. Inert Natural P and Natural P were applied as dust at four different doses and Py EC was applied as emulsions on grain by spraying. All three formulations showed higher insecticidal efficacy and higher progeny inhibition on all three tested insect species and had lower impact on wheat bulk density reduction compared with Celatom® MN-51. The LD50 and LD90 values of Inert Natural P were 48.7 and 163.7 ppm respectively for S. oryzae, 15.2 and 178.0 ppm for R. dominica and 115.2 and 171.3 ppm for T. castaneum. The LD50 and LD90 values of Natural P were 83.6 and 97.9 ppm respectively for S. oryzae, 19.5 and 97.9 ppm for R. dominica and 75.4 and 105.6 ppm for T. castaneum. Applied Py EC at concentration of 2.0 ppm a.i. pyrethrin exhibited 100% mortality after 2 d of S. oryzae and T. castaneum and after 6 d of R. dominica. In addition, all three formulations caused significant reduction of progeny (F1) population compared to control, providing promising approach of integrated pest management strategy.

GC/MS chemical analysis of lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) hydrolat: Successive extraction fractions

Hydrolats are valuable co-products of the essential oil distillation process, whose volatile compounds can be quantified by various methods. In this paper, we have tried to estimate the liquid-liquid extraction cycle number threshold for volatile compounds quantification of lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia) hydrolat. For this purpose, ten consecutive hydrolat extractions with n-hexane were analyzed GC/MS with hexadecane (C16) as an internal standard and compared with the lavandin essential oil. The chemical composition of the lavandin hydrolat showed similarity with its essential oil to the great extent, while volatile compounds dissolved in hydrolat exclusively belonged to the class of oxygenated monoterpenes. The total amount of extracted compounds has been estimated to 2174.2 mg/L, where the most dominant compounds in lavandin hydrolat were cisand trans-furanoid linalool oxide (676.3 and 634.1 mg/L, respectively), followed by much smaller amounts of linalool, camphor, and 1,8-cineole (167.6, 157.0, and 148.2 mg/L, respectively). Cumulative recoveries of total compounds yield after the third, fifth, and eighth extractions were 88 %, 96 %, and 99 %, respectively. Combined fraction analysis confirmed that in the first 5 cycles more than 95 % of the total yield (from 10 cycles) of extracted volatile compounds can be collected. Based on the results of this study, for volatile compounds quantification in lavandin hydrolat, 5 cycles of n-hexane liquid-liquid extraction can be recommended.

Brassinosteroids Promote Growth and Secondary Metabolite Production in Lavandin (Lavandula intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.)

Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia), a hybrid between L. angustifolia (English lavender) and L. latifolia (spike lavender), is a valuable aromatic and medicinal plant cultivated in the world. Lavandin essential oil with characteristic scent and fragrance properties is mainly used in cosmetics, perfumes and pharmaceutical industries. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of foliar application of 24-epibrassinolide (24-eBL), a brassinosteroid analogue, on growth and secondary metabolite production of lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia var. Super). 24-eBL at 0, 0.75, 1.5 and 2.25 mg/L concentrations was applied to 8 years old plants twice. The highest growth parameters were obtained from the plants applied with 1.5 and 2.25 mg/L of 24-eBL. 24-eBL also increased the total phenolics and essential oil contents. Especially 1.5 mg/L 24-eBL application was the most suitable concentration for total phenolic and essential oil contents. Besides 24-eBL also modified essential oil composition. The percentages of linalyl acetate and 1,8-cineol increased while some of the components such as camphor, borneol, geraniol and lavandulyl acetate decreased with the 24-eBL applications. To conclude, 24-eBL may be a promising compound for use in lavandin cultivation because of its positive effects on plant growth, phenolic content, essential oil content and oil quality.

Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia Emeric ex Loiseleur) essential oil from Spain: determination of aromatic profile by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory bioactivities

Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia Emeric ex Loiseleur) essential oils (EOs), from Abrial, Super and Grosso cultivars, cultivated and extracted in the South East of Spain, were analysed by using GC/MS to determine their composition, in both relative (peak area) and absolute (using standard curves) concentrations. Linalool (34–47%), linalyl acetate (17–34%), camphor (4–9%) and eucalyptol (3–7%) were determined as the main molecules. This characterisation was completed with the enantioselective gas chromatography, where ( − )-linalool, (+)-camphor and ( − )-linalyl acetate were determined as the main components. Antioxidant activity was evaluated positively by several methods: activity against free radicals, chelating and reducing power, probably due to linalool and linalyl acetate. Mild inhibitory activity on lipoxygenase was observed supporting potential anti-inflammatory activity, mainly due to linalool and camphor. These properties support the potential use of L. × intermedia essential oils as natural cosmetic and natural pharmaceutical ingredient to fight several skin diseases.

First Report of Septoria Leaf Spot of Lavandin Caused by Septoria lavandulae in Croatia.

Lavandula × intermedia Emeric ex Loiseleur, commonly known as lavandin, is an aromatic and medicinal perennial shrub widely and traditionally grown in Croatia. The lavandin essential oil is primarily used in perfumery and cosmetic industries, but also possesses anti-inflammatory, sedative, and antibacterial properties. In June 2012, severe foliar and stem symptoms were observed on approximately 40% of plants growing in a commercial lavandin crop in the locality of Banovo Brdo, Republic of Croatia. Initial symptoms on lower leaves included numerous, small, oval to irregular, grayish brown lesions with a slightly darker brown margin of necrotic tissue. Further development of the disease resulted in yellowing and necrosis of the infected leaves followed by premature defoliation. Similar necrotic oval-shaped lesions were observed on stems as well. The lesions contained numerous, dark, sub-globose pycnidia that were immersed in the necrotic tissue or partly erumpent. Small pieces of infected internal tissues were superficially disinfected with 50% commercial bleach (4% NaOCl) and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA). A total of 10 isolates from leaves and five from stems of lavandin formed a slow-growing, dark, circular colonies with raised center that produced pycnidia at 23°C, under 12 h of fluorescent light per day. All 15 recovered isolates formed uniform hyaline, elongate, straight or slightly curved conidia with 3 to 4 septa, with average dimensions of 17.5 to 35 × 1.5 to 2.5 μm. Based on the morphological characteristics, the pathogen was identified as Septoria lavandulae Desm., the causal agent of lavender leaf spot (1,2). Pathogenicity of one selected isolate (428-12) was tested by spraying 10 lavandin seedlings (8 weeks old) with a conidial suspension (106 conidia/ml) harvested from a 4-week-old monoconidial culture on PDA. Five lavandin seedlings, sprayed with sterile distilled water, were used as negative control. After 5 to 7 days, leaf spot symptoms identical to those observed on the source plants developed on all inoculated seedlings and the pathogen was successfully re-isolated. No symptoms were observed on any of the control plants. Morphological identification was confirmed by amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA (3). Total DNA was extracted directly from fungal mycelium with a DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) and PCR amplification performed with primers ITS1F/ITS4. Sequence analysis of ITS region revealed at least 99% identity between the isolate 428-12 (GenBank Accession No. KF373078) and isolates of many Septoria species; however, no information was available for S. lavandulae. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Septoria leaf spot of lavandin caused by S. lavandulae in Croatia. Since the cultivation area of lavandin plants has been increasing in many continental parts of Croatia, especially in Slavonia and Baranja counties, the presence of a new and potentially harmful disease may represent a serious constraint for lavandin production and further monitoring is needed.

Multiresidue determination of 256 pesticides in lavandin essential oil by LC/ESI/sSRM: advantages and drawbacks of a sampling method involving evaporation under nitrogen

The determination of 256 multiclass pesticides in lavandin essential oil has been performed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry using the scheduled selected reaction monitoring mode available on a quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometer. With the aim of improving the limits of quantification (LOQs) of the target molecules, a sampling step based on evaporation of the essential oil under a nitrogen flow assisted by controlled heating was tested. The LOQs determined in this case were compared with the values obtained with the classic dilution preparation method. With sampling by dilution, 247 pesticides were detected and quantified at low concentration, with 74 % of the pesticides having LOQs of 10 μg L(-1) or less. With the evaporation method, a global improvement of the LOQs was observed, with lower LOQs for 92 active substances and LOQs of 10 μg L(-1) or less for 82.8 % of the pesticides. Almost twice as many active substances had an LOQ of 1 μg L(-1) or less when the evaporation method was used. Some pesticides exhibited poor recovery or high variance caused by volatilization or degradation during the evaporation step. This behavior was evidenced by the case of thiophanate-methyl, which is degraded to carbendazim.

Encapsulation of Lavandin Essential Oil in Poly‐(ϵ‐caprolactones) by PGSS Process

AbstractLavandin essential oil has been encapsulated in poly‐(ϵ‐caprolactone) (MW: 4000 g mol–1) by means of the particles from gas saturated solutions (PGSS) process. The influence of process conditions, i.e., pre‐expansion temperature and pressure, and oil/polymer mass ratio, on the morphology of particles and the efficiency of encapsulation has been analyzed. Spherical particles with particle sizes of 100–700 μm were obtained, with increasing particle sizes and more agglomeration as the oil/polymer ratio was increased. The efficiency of encapsulation was increased by conditions that favored a fast solidification of the polymer shell, including high pre‐expansion pressures, reaching efficiencies up to 50 % with oil loads up to 120 mg oil/g particles.

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.

Antimicrobial activity of lavandin essential oil formulations against three pathogenic food-borne bacteria

Lavandin (Lavandula hybrida) essential oil contains components with biocide and antiviral properties that can be used as substitutes of antibiotics. This application requires an appropriate formulation of the essential oil. In the present work, the antimicrobial activity of free and encapsulated lavandin essential oil against three pathogenic bacteria (Gram-negative: Escherichia coli; Gram-positive: Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) was determined. The formulations were prepared using innovative high-pressure techniques (PGSS and PGSS-drying) as well as spray-drying. Carrier materials used for the encapsulation were soybean lecithin, n-octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) modified starch and poly-caprolactone. Results demonstrated that lavandin oil antibacterial activity could be enhanced by encapsulation, due to the protection and control release of the oil. As well, encapsulation might present an interesting opportunity to facilitate the action of antimicrobials, improving essential oil penetration inside of the outer membrane.