Electronic Journal of Polish Agricultural Universities (EJPAU) founded by all Polish Agriculture Universities presents original papers and review articles relevant to all aspects of agricultural sciences. It is target for persons working both in science and industry,regulatory agencies or teaching in agricultural sector. Covered by IFIS Publishing (Food Science and Technology Abstracts), ELSEVIER Science - Food Science and Technology Program, CAS USA (Chemical Abstracts), CABI Publishing UK and ALPSP (Association of Learned and Professional Society Publisher - full membership). Presented in the Master List of Thomson ISI.
2005
Volume 8
Issue 4
Topic:
Horticulture
ELECTRONIC
JOURNAL OF
POLISH
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITIES
Najda A. , Dyduch J. 2005. DEPENDENCES BETWEEN THE LENGTH OF VEGETATION PERIOD OF FIELD PLANTS AND THE CONTENT AND COMPOSITION OF ESSENTIAL OIL IN CELERY LEAVES, EJPAU 8(4), #15.
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume8/issue4/art-15.html

DEPENDENCES BETWEEN THE LENGTH OF VEGETATION PERIOD OF FIELD PLANTS AND THE CONTENT AND COMPOSITION OF ESSENTIAL OIL IN CELERY LEAVES

Agnieszka Najda, Jan Dyduch
Department of Vegetable Crops and Medicinal Plants, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland

 

ABSTRACT

In years 1999-2001 a scientific experiment with two cultivars of celery, ‘Zefir’ and ‘Helios’ was carried out. We traced the changes of the content and composition of essential oil comprised in leaves, taking into account the length of vegetation period of the above plants. It appeared that the biggest amount of essential oil was contained in the youngest leaves: 0.34% (‘Zefir’ cv.) and 0.30% (‘Helios’ cv.). It was also observed that he older plants in the moment of their collection, the lower content of essential oil. With help of chromatographic analysis the experiment allowed to indicate three fractions: monoterpene, sesquiterpene and phtalid fraction. Limonene appeared to be a dominant component of essential oil obtained from celery leaves independently of the collection date.

Key words: celery, vegetation period, essential oil, monoterpene, sesquiterpene, phtalide.

INTRODUCTION

Factors influencing the mass change and chemical composition of a plant during its vegetation are numerous, various and often overlapping. Genetic, ontogenetic and environmental variability that involves for example climatic conditions is the main reason for the crop variability as well as for the content of biologically active substances. Those factors that operate after the collection, especially the conditions of drying, and the storage of the material are also important variability factors.

The knowledge of scope and direction of the influence of particular variability factors enables to operate the production processes and obtain both satisfactory crops and high content of biologically active substances. It also allows to obtain desirable stability of chemical composition of material [3, 5].

The presented results are the continuation of systematic experiments on crops, content and composition of compounds that are secondary metabolites occurring in celery. The experiments are carried out at the Department of Vegetable Crops and Medicinal Plants at Agricultural University in Lublin.

The aim of this paper was to trace the changes of the content and composition of essential oil that take place in leaves of two varieties of celery, ‘Zefir’ and ‘Helios’, taking into account the length of vegetation period of the above plants.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Field examination was carried out in years 1999-2001 on experimental fields of the Department of Vegetable Crops and Medicinal Plants, Agricultural University in Lublin.

The seedling of two varieties of celery was planted 10th May every year of the experiment. The collection of plants took place after 80, 100 and 120 days of vegetation in field. Aerial leaves of two cultivars of celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce Mill./Pers.), ‘Zefir’ and ‘Helios’, dried at temperature 28°C. Water content and essential oil content was indicated in aerial leaves in the Deryng apparatus (according to Polish Pharmacopoeia [4]).

Qualitative and quantitative composition of particular components of essential oil was indicated by GC/MS method using ITS-40 apparatus (GC/ITMS system, Finnigan MAT, USA) and DB-5 column: length: 30 m, diameter: 0.25 mm, thickness of stationary phase film: 0.25 µm (J & W, USA). The temperature of the dispenser was 280°C. The temperature gradient was applied (35°C for 2 min, and next the growth for 4°C up to 280°C).

The qualitative analysis was carried out on the basis of MS spectra which were compared with the NIST spectra (62000) and LIBR spectra of terpenes supplied by Finnigan MAT. The identity of the compounds was confirmed by retention indexes taken from literature or our own data [7]. The quantitative content of essential oil was described assuming that the sum of particular oil compounds is 100%.

RESULTS

Table 1 presents the proportional content of water and essential oil in leaves of celery varieties depending on the length of vegetation in field. During the whole experiment, the content of essential oil depended on the plant variety and the length of plant vegetation in field. It was indicated that ‘Zefir’ cv. contains a little more essential oil in comparison to ‘Helios’ cv.

It was proved that the amount of essential oil in leaves in two varieties examined decreased directly proportional to the length of vegetation period for the plants in field. The biggest amount of essential oil was obtained from the youngest leaves of two cultivars (average 0.37% for ‘Zefir’ and 0.31% for ‘Helios’), and the collection of the material took place after 80 days. The oldest leaves collected after 120 days of vegetation contained the smallest amount of essential oil (0.22% and 0.11% respectively). Independently of the cultivars and the length of vegetation period of plants in field, the biggest amount of essential oil was observed in 1999 (average 0.36% for ‘Zefir’ and 0.26% for ‘Helios’). The smallest amount of essential oil was indicated in leaves in 2000 (0.22% and 0.16% respectively).

Table 1. Comparison of proportional content of water and essential oil in leaves of two celery cultivars in years 1999-2001

Cultivars

Years of experiment

Water content
%

Essential oil content
%

Length of vegetation period for plants in field (days)

80

100

120

average

80

100

120

average

Zefir

1999

9.12

9.43

9.67

9.41

0.44

0.36

0.28

0.36

2000

9.35

9.57

9.78

9.57

0.30

0.20

0.15

0.22

2001

9.27

9.34

9.41

9.34

0.37

0.30

0.24

0.30

average

9.25

9.45

9.62

9.44

0.37

0.29

0.22

0.29

Helios

1999

9.28

9.50

9.70

9.49

0.37

0.26

0.15

0.26

2000

9.42

9.59

9.87

9.63

0.27

0.15

0.07

0.16

2001

9.36

9.58

9.74

9.56

0.30

0.18

0.11

0.20

average

9.35

9.56

9.77

9.56

0.31

0.20

0.11

0.21

On the basis of the analysis of essential oil from the leaves of both cultivars carried out with GC/MS method, the presence of 27 chemical compounds in essential oil obtained from leaves of ‘Zefir’ cv. and 22 chemical compounds for ‘Helios’ cv. were confirmed. 25 and 22 chemical compounds were identified for ‘Zefir’ and ‘Helios’ variety respectively.

As it results from our experiment, isoprenoids (among them monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and phtalides) are the main components of essential oil obtained from the examined material (tab. 2).

Table 2. Proportional content of essential oil components in leaves of two celery cultivars indicated by GC/MS method

No

Compound name

Retention time
tR (s)

ZEFIR

HELIOS

years of the experiment

1999

2000

2001

1999

2000

2001

length of vegetation period of plants (days)

80

100

120

80

100

120

80

100

120

80

100

120

80

100

120

80

100

120

1.

α-Tujene

924

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

2.

α-Pinene

929

1.2

0.6

1.5

1.5

1.2

1.6

0.9

0.4

1.0

0.7

tr

0.5

0.9

0.5

1.1

0.7

0.2

0.9

3.

Sabinene

969

0.7

0.5

0.1

1.0

0.4

0.1

1.1

0.5

0.6

0.8

0.4

0.1

0.4

0.1

0.1

1.0

0.7

0.3

4.

β-Pinene

971

0.1

0.6

0.8

0.3

0.5

0.6

0.6

0.7

1.0

tr

tr

0.3

0.1

tr

0.2

0.4

tr

0.5

5.

Mircene

987

7.6

9.5

10.2

5.9

8.1

11.1

8.9

10.1

11.4

0.6

1.8

2.9

3.1

4.2

4.9

6.1

7.8

8.7

6.

p-Cymene

1020

0.3

0.1

0.5

0.4

0.2

0.5

0.2

0.1

0.3

tr

0.1

0.2

0.4

0.1

0.4

0.1

0.1

0.2

7.

Limonene

1025

52.3

51.7

55.8

53.1

48.3

57.3

50.1

46.1

54.9

44.1

39.7

46.8

46.2

41.9

50.7

45.0

40.8

50.1

8.

cis-Ocimene

1037

0.7

0.5

0.7

0.9

0.5

0.7

tr

tr

tr

0.7

0.7

0.5

1.0

0.6

0.8

tr

tr

tr

9.

trans-Ocimene

1042

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

10.

γ-Terpinene

1057

0.6

tr

0.4

0.7

tr

0.5

1.0

0.4

0.7

tr

tr

tr

0.1

tr

tr

0.7

0.6

0.9

11.

Terpinene

1089

tr

tr

tr

0.2

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

12.

Linalool

1104

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

13.

cis-Limonene oxide

1123

0.3

0.1

tr

0.2

0.1

0.1

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

0.4

14.

trans-Limonene oxide

1139

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.3

tr

0.4

0.3

0.1

0.4

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

0.1

15.

trans-Carveol

1217

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

16.

trans-Sabinyl acetate

1292

tr

tr

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.2

tr

tr

tr

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

17.

trans-Carvyl acetate

1334

tr

0.1

0.2

tr

tr

0.3

tr

tr

0.1

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

18.

β-Caryophyllene

1419

1.3

0.7

0.9

1.6

0.9

1.1

2.0

1.1

0.6

0.7

0.3

tr

1.0

0.5

0.3

1.2

0.9

0.4

19.

β-Selinene

1481

1.6

1.8

1.9

1.9

1.9

2.1

1.1

1.5

1.6

1.7

1.2

0.7

1.3

1.0

1.2

2.0

1.6

1.7

20.

α-Selinene

1490

0.4

0.2

0.5

0.7

0.4

0.7

0.5

0.1

0.6

0.5

0.2

0.7

0.7

0.1

0.8

1.5

0.5

1.1

21.

Caryophyllene oxide

1581

0.3

0.1

0.3

0.2

tr

0.2

0.4

tr

0.1

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

22.

n.i.

1630

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

23.

n.i.

1642

tr

0.1

tr

0.1

0.1

tr

tr

tr

tr

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

24.

3-n-butylophthalide

1647

1.1

0.5

0.4

1.2

0.7

0.5

2.2

2.9

1.7

2.4

2.8

2.1

2.3

3.1

1.7

2.7

2.1

0.8

25.

Sedanolide

1709

1.8

2.6

3.0

2.0

3.1

3.7

3.0

3.5

4.7

0.8

1.3

1.7

0.7

1.1

1.7

2.4

3.1

3.6

26.

cis-Sedanolide

1718

1.9

1.0

1.6

2.2

1.2

2.6

2.0

1.0

2.6

0.6

0.3

0.9

0.7

0.3

0.8

1.0

0.9

1.5

27.

trans-Sedanolide

1741

tr

0.1

0.2

tr

tr

0.3

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

tr

0.2

tr

tr

tr

tr – trace amounts; <0.1% n.i. – non-identified

α- and β-pinene, mircene and limonene belong to the composition of the monoterpene fraction. Limonene is the most important component of this fraction. Its content ranges from 20.4% to 62.7% for ‘Zefir’ cv., and from 15.3% to 57.9% for ‘Helios’ cv., and it depends on the length of the vegetation period of plants in field. α- and β-pinenes ranging from 0.7% to 2.8% for ‘Zefir’ cv. and from 0.3% to 1.8% for ‘Helios’ cv. are another component of the monoterpene fraction. For mircene, the content ranges from 0.4% to 3.4% (‘Zefir’), and from 0.3% to 10.0% (‘Helios’)

Among sesquiterpenes, the presence of β-selinene, β-cariofilene, α-selinenu and cariofilene oxide was confirmed. β-selinene, whose content ranges from 1.1% to 7.5%, (‘Zefir’) and from 0.8% to 2.5% (‘Helios’), and depends on the date of leaf collection, is a dominant compound of the sesquiterpene fraction. Another fraction that appears in essential oil distilled from the examined material is the phtalid fraction where 3-n-butylophtalid, sedanolid, cis- and trans-sedanolid can be found.

Phtalides are usually hardly-volatile with vapour and their content in essential oil depends on the type and variety of the examined material. It should be emphasised that the essential oil occurring in leaves of the examined plants has the biggest content of limonene in the material collected after 120 days of vegetation (in September). On the contrary, the content of 3-n-butylophtalid was the highest in leaves collected after 80 days of vegetation. Higher content of sedanolid, as well as cis- and trans-sedanolid, especially in leaves of ‘Zefir’ cv., deserves particular attention.

DISCUSSION

Essential oil that gives specific flavour to the plants is one of the most important biologically active components occurring in plants from the Apiaceae family. As the result of the experiments carried out in three-year-old experimental cycle (1999-2001) it was indicated that the content and composition of essential oil changed both during the vegetation period and in particular years of celery growing. The results of the experiments on the content and composition of essential oil found in literature concentrated around celeriac/knob celery. The content of essential oil in the root ranges from 0.18% to 0.25%. In leaves, it ranges from 0.10% to 0.23%. Limonene, β-selinene 3-n-butylophtalid and sedanolid occurs in this essential oil [8]. The experiments carried out by Wolski et al. [6] concentrated around the content and composition of essential oil occurring in celery fruits. Monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and phtalides that give characteristic smell to celery fruit, roots, herbs and the products obtained from these components, are dominant elements of essential oil distilled from the fruits of the celery [1].

The experiments carried out on celery leaves indicated that essential oil in leaves contains mainly monoterpenes (α-and β-pinene, mircene and limonene), sesquiterpenes (β-selinene, β-cariofilene, α-selinene and oxide) and phtalides occurring in essential oil in small amounts because of their hard volatility with water vapour [2, 8].

CONCLUSIONS

  1. The biggest amount of essential oil was contained in the youngest leaves: 0.34% (‘Zefir’ cv.) and 0.30% (‘Helios’ cv.). The older plants in the moment of their collection, the lower content of essential oil.

  2. The proportional content of essential oil obtained by distillation with water vapour from the leaves of two celery cultivars depended on the leaf age and ranged from 0.34% (after 80 days of vegetation), from 0.24 to 0.28 (after 100 days of vegetation), and from 0.17 to 0.20% (after 120 days of vegetation in field).

  3. Three fractions: monoterpene, sesquiterpene and phtalide were indicated as the result of chromatographic analysis. Limonene is a dominant component of essential oil obtained from celery leaves independently of the collection date.

  4. The increase of the content of particular components of essential oil was directly proportional to the length of vegetation period of plants in field. Leaves collected after 120 days of vegetation (in both cases examined) had more limonene and mircene in comparison to those collected after 80 days of vegetation in field.


REFERENCES

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  2. Fuchs S., Beck T., Mosandl A., 2000. Biogenetic research into essential oils using SPME enantio-MDGC/MS. GIT Lab. J. 2, 199-201.

  3. Lis A., Góra J., 2000. Zmienność składu chemicznego olejków eterycznych [Modification of chemical components of etheric oil]. Aromaterapia 6, (1), 28-34 [in Polish].

  4. Polish Pharmacopoeia V, 1999. PTFarm, t. V [in Polish].

  5. Rumińska A., 1981. Rośliny lecznicze, podstawy biologii i agrotechniki (Medical plants, basic of biology and agrotechnic). PWRiL, Warszawa [in Polish].

  6. Wolski T., Najda A., Mardarowicz M., 2001. Analiza GC/MS olejków eterycznych otrzymanych z trzech odmian selera naciowego (Apium graveolens L. var dulce Mill./Pers.) [GC/MS Analysis of etheric oil in fruits of three varieties of Apium graveolens L. var. dulce Mill. Pers.]. Ann. Univ. Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, sec. EEE, Supl. IX, 203-211 [in Polish]

  7. Wolski T., Weryszko-Chmielewska E., Baj T., 1998. Zawartość i skład olejków eterycznych w kwiatostanach dwu odmian dyptamu jesionolistnego (Dictamnus albus L. cv. Albiflores i cv. Rosapurple) oraz budowa tkanki wydzielniczej [The content and composition of etheric oil in inflorescences of two varieties of Dittany Dictamnus albus L. cv. Albiflores and cv. Rosapurple]. Ann. Univ. Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, sec. EEE, 6, 151-164 [in Polish].

  8. Zheng G.Q., Kenney P.M., Zhang J., Lam L.K., 1993. Chemoprevention of benzo-α-pyrene – induced forestomach cancer in mice by natural phthalides from celery seed oil. Nutr. – Cancer. 19, 77-86.


Agnieszka Najda
Department of Vegetable Crops and Medicinal Plants,
University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
Kr. Leszczyńskiego 58, 20-068 Lublin, Poland
email: agnieszka.najda@up.lublin.pl

Jan Dyduch
Department of Vegetable Crops and Medicinal Plants,
University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
58 Leszczyński Street, 20-068 Lublin, Poland
email: jan.dyduch@up.lublin.pl

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