Essential Oils of Four Virginia Mountain Mint (<i>Pycnanthemum virginianum</i>) Varieties Grown in North Alabama
Virginia mountain mint (<i>Pycnanthemum virginianum</i>) is a peppermint-flavored aromatic herb of the Lamiaceae and is mainly used for culinary, medicinal, aromatic, and ornamental purposes. North Alabama’s climate is conducive to growing mint for essential oils used in culinary, confec...
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| author | William N. Setzer Lam Duong Trang Pham Ambika Poudel Cuong Nguyen Srinivasa Rao Mentreddy |
| author_facet | William N. Setzer Lam Duong Trang Pham Ambika Poudel Cuong Nguyen Srinivasa Rao Mentreddy |
| author_sort | William N. Setzer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Virginia mountain mint (<i>Pycnanthemum virginianum</i>) is a peppermint-flavored aromatic herb of the Lamiaceae and is mainly used for culinary, medicinal, aromatic, and ornamental purposes. North Alabama’s climate is conducive to growing mint for essential oils used in culinary, confectionery, and medicinal purposes. There is, however, a need for varieties of <i>P. virginianum</i> that can be adapted and easily grown for production in North Alabama. Towards this end, four field-grown varieties with three harvesting times (M1H1, M1H2, M1H3; M2H1, M2H2, M2H3; M3H1, M3H2, M3H3, M4H1, M4H2, M4H3) were evaluated for relative differences in essential oil yield and composition. Thirty-day-old greenhouse-grown plants of the four varieties were transplanted on raised beds in the field at the Alabama A & M University Research Station in North Alabama. The plots were arranged in a randomized complete block with three replications. The study’s objective was to compare the four varieties for essential oil yield and their composition at three harvest times, 135, 155, and 170 days after planting (DAP). Essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation with continuous extraction with dichloromethane using a Likens–Nickerson apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatographic techniques. At the first harvest, the essential oil yield of the four varieties showed that M1H1 had a yield of 1.15%, higher than M2H1, M3H1, and M4H1 with 0.91, 0.76, and 1.03%, respectively. The isomenthone concentrations increased dramatically through the season in M1 (M1H1, M1H2, M1H3) by 19.93, 54.7, and 69.31%, and M3 (M3H1, M3H2, M3H3) by 1.81, 48.02, and 65.83%, respectively. However, it increased only slightly in M2 and M4. The thymol concentration decreased slightly but not significantly in all four varieties; the thymol in M2 and M4 was very high compared with M1 and M3. The study showed that mountain mint offers potential for production in North Alabama. Two varieties, M1 and M3, merit further studies to determine yield stability, essential oil yield, composition, and cultivation development practices. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-8ac7f9a18f154205a18bbf0b24e9e1552023-11-22T04:43:33ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472021-07-01107139710.3390/plants10071397Essential Oils of Four Virginia Mountain Mint (<i>Pycnanthemum virginianum</i>) Varieties Grown in North AlabamaWilliam N. Setzer0Lam Duong1Trang Pham2Ambika Poudel3Cuong Nguyen4Srinivasa Rao Mentreddy5Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USADepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Alabama A & M University, Normal, AL 35762, USADepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Alabama A & M University, Normal, AL 35762, USAAromatic Plant Research Center, 230 N 1200 E, Suite 100, Lehi, UT 84043, USADepartment of Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USADepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Alabama A & M University, Normal, AL 35762, USAVirginia mountain mint (<i>Pycnanthemum virginianum</i>) is a peppermint-flavored aromatic herb of the Lamiaceae and is mainly used for culinary, medicinal, aromatic, and ornamental purposes. North Alabama’s climate is conducive to growing mint for essential oils used in culinary, confectionery, and medicinal purposes. There is, however, a need for varieties of <i>P. virginianum</i> that can be adapted and easily grown for production in North Alabama. Towards this end, four field-grown varieties with three harvesting times (M1H1, M1H2, M1H3; M2H1, M2H2, M2H3; M3H1, M3H2, M3H3, M4H1, M4H2, M4H3) were evaluated for relative differences in essential oil yield and composition. Thirty-day-old greenhouse-grown plants of the four varieties were transplanted on raised beds in the field at the Alabama A & M University Research Station in North Alabama. The plots were arranged in a randomized complete block with three replications. The study’s objective was to compare the four varieties for essential oil yield and their composition at three harvest times, 135, 155, and 170 days after planting (DAP). Essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation with continuous extraction with dichloromethane using a Likens–Nickerson apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatographic techniques. At the first harvest, the essential oil yield of the four varieties showed that M1H1 had a yield of 1.15%, higher than M2H1, M3H1, and M4H1 with 0.91, 0.76, and 1.03%, respectively. The isomenthone concentrations increased dramatically through the season in M1 (M1H1, M1H2, M1H3) by 19.93, 54.7, and 69.31%, and M3 (M3H1, M3H2, M3H3) by 1.81, 48.02, and 65.83%, respectively. However, it increased only slightly in M2 and M4. The thymol concentration decreased slightly but not significantly in all four varieties; the thymol in M2 and M4 was very high compared with M1 and M3. The study showed that mountain mint offers potential for production in North Alabama. Two varieties, M1 and M3, merit further studies to determine yield stability, essential oil yield, composition, and cultivation development practices.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/7/1397pulegoneisomenthonementhonethymol<i>p</i>-cymenechemotypes |
| spellingShingle | William N. Setzer Lam Duong Trang Pham Ambika Poudel Cuong Nguyen Srinivasa Rao Mentreddy Essential Oils of Four Virginia Mountain Mint (<i>Pycnanthemum virginianum</i>) Varieties Grown in North Alabama Plants pulegone isomenthone menthone thymol <i>p</i>-cymene chemotypes |
| title | Essential Oils of Four Virginia Mountain Mint (<i>Pycnanthemum virginianum</i>) Varieties Grown in North Alabama |
| title_full | Essential Oils of Four Virginia Mountain Mint (<i>Pycnanthemum virginianum</i>) Varieties Grown in North Alabama |
| title_fullStr | Essential Oils of Four Virginia Mountain Mint (<i>Pycnanthemum virginianum</i>) Varieties Grown in North Alabama |
| title_full_unstemmed | Essential Oils of Four Virginia Mountain Mint (<i>Pycnanthemum virginianum</i>) Varieties Grown in North Alabama |
| title_short | Essential Oils of Four Virginia Mountain Mint (<i>Pycnanthemum virginianum</i>) Varieties Grown in North Alabama |
| title_sort | essential oils of four virginia mountain mint i pycnanthemum virginianum i varieties grown in north alabama |
| topic | pulegone isomenthone menthone thymol <i>p</i>-cymene chemotypes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/7/1397 |
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