Evaluation of biomass formation, essential oil yield and composition of four different Matricaria recutita L. cultivars grown in Egypt

Hendawy S. F.; El-Gendy A. G.; El Gohary A.E; Hussein M.S.; Danova K.; E. A. Omer

Authors

Hendawy S. F. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Dept., National Research Centre, Dokki (12622), Giza, Egypt
El-Gendy A. G. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Dept., National Research Centre, Dokki (12622), Giza, Egypt
El Gohary A.E Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Dept., National Research Centre, Dokki (12622), Giza, Egypt
Hussein M.S. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Dept., National Research Centre, Dokki (12622), Giza, Egypt
Danova K. Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl. 9, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
E. A. Omer Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Dept., National Research Centre, Dokki (12622), Giza, Egypt

Keywords:

Matricaria recutita L., essential oil, cultivation, medicinal plant, Bisabolol oxidide A, chemotype

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during two successive seasons (2011 and 2012) to evaluate the growth, yield and oil quality of four different Matricaria recutita L. cultivars. Three of them were introduced from Germany, namely, Luta, Bona and Goral and one was a local Egyptian cultivar, belonging to the bisabolol-oxide chemotype. The comparison between the four chamomile cultivars was done based on 35 components of the essential oils. Bisabolol oxide was shown to be the major component in all four cultivars. Data clearly showed significant differences between the four cultivars, regarding their growth parameters and essential oil productivity. Thus, the Goral cultivar was shown to be superior in terms of growth followed by the Luta cultivar in both seasons, On the other hand Luta was superior regarding its essential oil content (0.41 and 0.54 %, for the two harvesting seasons, respectively) followed by the Goral cultivar (0.40 and 0.48 %), while the Local cultivar gave the lowest value in essential oil content (0.30 % and 0.36 % in both seasons). The obtained results revealed that the oil composition of the four chamomile cultivars is stable and characteristic for each type.