title: Volatile constituents of Melissa officinalis leaves determined by plant age.
abstract: The present study investigated changes in the content and chemical composition of the essential oil extracted by hydrodistillation from air-dried Melissa officinalis L. (lemon balm) leaves in the first and second year of plant growth. The lemon balm oil was analysed by GC-MS and GC-FID. The presence of 106 compounds, representing 100% of the oil constituents, was determined in the oil. The predominant components were geranial (45.2% and 45.1%) and neral (32.8% and 33.8%); their proportions in the examined samples of the oil obtained from one- and two-year-old plants were comparable. However, the age of lemon balm plants affected the concentration of other constituents and the proportions of the following compounds were subject to especially high fluctuations: citronellal (8.7% and 0.4%), geraniol (trace amounts and 0.6%), and geranyl acetate (0.5% and 3.0%), as well as, among others, isogeranial, E-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, germacrene D, and carvacrol. The essential oil of two-year-old plants was characterized by a richer chemical composition than the oil from younger plants.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nurzyńska-Wierdak
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bogucka-Kocka
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szymczak
mesh_terms: D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D031334:Melissa / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile