Abstract
The aim of this paper was to identify and determine using GC/FID and GC/MS method of volatile compounds of essential oils obtained from three varieties of narrow-leaved lavender grown in the field and in vitro cultures. The essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation in Deryng apparatus. It was found that the analyzed essential oils varied in terms of chemical composition depending on the variety and conditions of growth. 64 to 87 different compounds were identified in oils. Essential oils of all 3 varieties obtained in in vitro cultures contained large amounts of borneol (13.38 – 32.17 %). This compound was also dominant in plants obtained from in vivo conditions in varieties ‘Ellagance Purple’ (11.32 %) and ‘Blue River’ (13.36 %) and in the ‘Munstead’ variety the dominant compound was linalool (12.67 %). High concentration of epi-α-cadinol (9.85 - 20.18 %) was found in essential oils obtained from in vitro cultured plants. Globulol was found in high concentration (9.95 %) in the ‘Munstead’ variety grown in in vitro conditions. However, significant quantitative and qualitative differences were found on composition of essential oils obtained from plants grown in the field and in vitro conditions. There was a lack of (E)-β-ocimene, 3-octyn-2-one, 1-octen-3-yl acetate, sabina ketone, pinocarvone, trans-carveol, nerol, epi-longipinanol or humulene epoxide II. In comparison to oils obtained from filed-grown plants, the oils isolated from plants grown in in vitro conditions
contained the less volatile compounds identified in the final stage of GC/FID and GC/MS analysis, i.e. thymol, carvacrol, γ-gurjunene, trans-calamene, α-calacorene, khusinol, 8-cedren-13-ol.