The influence of harvest time on essential oil composition, phenolic constituents and antioxidant properties of Turkish oregano (Origanum onites
 L.)

In previous work [1], the essential oil of the aerial parts of Marrubium vulgare L. obtained by hydrodistillation was analysed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in order to determine their chemical composition. Fifty (50) components in the oil of M. vulgare were identified. The results demonstrated that the major components of the essential oil were: 4,8,12,16-Tetramethyl heptadecan-4-olid (16.97 %), Germacrene D-4-ol (9.61 %), α- pinéne (9.37 %), Phytol (4.87 %), Dehydro-sabina ketone (4.12 %), Piperitone (3.27 %), δ-Cadinene (3.13 %), 1-Octen-3-ol (2.35 %) and Benzaldehyde (2.31 %). In this study, the antioxidant properties of essential oil were examined. The results showed that this oil can be considered an effective source of antioxidants of natural origin. This is the first report on chemical composition of M. vulgare essential oil cultivated in Algeria and the original study on the antioxidant activity of M. vulgare essential oil. The antioxidant activity was investigated with one method: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method.

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Basil conservation affected by cropping season, harvest time and storage period

Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira ◽

10.1590/s0100-204x2005000400002 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 40 (4) ◽

pp. 323-328 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Franceli da Silva ◽

Ricardo Henrique Silva Santos ◽

Nélio José de Andrade ◽

Luiz Cláudio Almeida Barbosa ◽

Vicente Wagner Dias Casali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Essential Oil ◽

Chlorophyll Content ◽

Oil Content ◽

Storage Period ◽

Essential Oil Composition ◽

Harvest Time ◽

Oil Composition ◽

Cropping Season ◽

Mold And Yeast ◽

And Storage

Fresh basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is used in food, phytotherapic industry, and in traditional therapeutic, due to its essential oil content and composition. Nevertheless basil can not be kept for long periods after harvest and its quality can be reduced. This work aimed to assess the influence of the season and harvest time in the postharvest conservation of basil stored for different periods. Basil was harvested at 8 am and 4 pm both in August/1999 and January/2000. Cuttings were conditioned in PVC packages and stored for 3, 6, and 9 days. During storage, chlorophyll content, essential oil content and composition were determined as well as microbiological analyses were carried out. Harvest season and the days of storage influenced the final content of essential oil. There was a linear decrease in the content of essential oil, in the chlorophyll content and in the number of mold and yeast colonies during storage. There was no effect of cropping season or harvest hour on essential oil composition, but the eugenol and linalool content increased during storage. Coliforms were under 0.3 MPN g-1 and the number of Staphylococcus aureus was under 1.0x10² UFC g-1.

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