Planta Med 2009; 75 - PI9
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1234773

Essential oil composition of Perilla L. cultivated in Lithuania

L Bumblauskienė 1, V Jakštas 1, V Janulis 1, R Maždžierienė 2
  • 1Department of Pharmacognosy, Kaunas University of Medicine, Mickevičiaus st. 9, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania
  • 2Department of Food Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, Radvilėnų pl. 19, LT-50015 Kaunas, Lithuania

Perilla L. is a genus of annual herbaceous plants of Lamiaceae family, originated from Eastern Asia [1]. Perilla L. has been cultivated in the collection of medicinal plants at Kaunas Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania since 1990. The investigations of plant growth, vegetation rhythmic and its dependence upon ecological factors, has been carried out since 1998 [2,3]. As biogenesis and composition of essential oil depend on geographical location, environmental factors, plants with same chemotypes but growing in different conditions have different composition of major components. The plant material (leaves) was collected from collection and trial area of Kaunas Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University in August 2007. Essential oil of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton, Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. crispa f. viridis, Perilla ocymoides L. var. bicolorlaciniata was obtained by hydrodistillation. Analysis was performed using GC-FID and GC-MS. Compounds were identified by comparing retention indices and mass spectra. Thirteen constituents of essential oil, representing 96.42% of identified compounds were identified in the essential oil of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton. Principal compounds were perillaketone (55.60%) and egomaketone (28.12%). In Perilla ocymoides L. var. bicolorlaciniata, 97.70% of essential oil components were identified with abundant amounts of perillaldehyde (72.07%) and limonene (13.15%). In the essential oil of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. crispa f. viridis, 83.18% of compounds were identified. Principal compounds were perillaldehyde (49.47%), limonene (11.76%). Considering a broad diversity of Perilla L. species and chemotypes, it is important to discriminate cultivated Perilla L. species with identified chemotypes.

References: [1] Nitta, M. et al. (2003) Econ. Bot. 57:245–253.

[2] Ragažinskienė, O. et al. (2006) Medicina (Kaunas) 42:667–672.

[3] Ragažinskienė, O. et al. (2007) Ekologija. 53:45–50.