EFFECT OF POTASSIUM UPTAKE ON THE COMPOSITION OF ESSENTIAL OIL CONTENT INCALENDULA OFFICINALIS L. FLOWERS

Khalid A Khalid

doi:10.9755/ejfa.v25i3.10490

Authors

Khalid A Khalid Deprtment of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.9755/ejfa.v25i3.10490

Keywords:

Calendula officinalis L., Essential oil, Potassium (K), ?-cadinol, ?-and ? ?cadinene

Abstract

Potassium (K) is an important macronutrient and the most abundant cation in higher plants. K has been the target of some researchers mainly because it is essential for enzyme activation such as enzyme of essential oil synthesis. The highest accumulation of essential oil (0.29% and 0.095 g plant-1 ) was recorded at the treatment of 173.2 kg ha-1 compared with control treatment (0.13% and 0.015 g plant-1 ). 28 constituents were identified in the essential oil. The main constituents (?-cadinol, ?-and ? -cadinene) increased with K level. The highest amount of the main constituents [?-cadinol (33.11%), ?-cadinene (18.41%), and ? -cadinene (9.99%)] was produced from the F treatment (346.4 kg ha-1 ). Alcohols were the major constituents of the heavy oxygenated compounds (HOC) of Calendula essential oil in which ?-Cadinol represented the highest concentration.