BIOSYNTHESIS OF VOLATILE OILS IN SALVIA SCLAREA IN THE COURSE OF GERMINATION

Abstract

We have studied the incorporation of 2–C ¹⁴ Na-acetate into the volatile oil components during germination of the Salvia sclarea seed. We observed the changes in volatile oil composition and in activity by means of contact autoradiography, thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography. It was found that the radioactivity of marked Na-acetate is incorporated into volatile oil. The two first compounds of the biosynthesis – thujone and linalyl acetate – show very high activity, while the activity of pinene is hardly évaluable. Activity is gradually extending also to the other components.