Biomass production and essential oil yield from leaves, fine stems and resprouts using pruning the crown of Aniba canelilla (H.B.K.) (Lauraceae) in the Central Amazon

Aniba canelilla (H.B.K.) Mez. is a tree species from Amazon that produces essential oil. The oil extraction from its leaves and stems can be an alternative way to avoid the tree cutting for production of essential oil. The aim of this study was to analyse factors that may influence the essential oil production and the biomass of resprouts after pruning the leaves and stems of A. canelilla trees. The tree crowns were pruned in the wet season and after nine months the leaves and stems of the remaining crown and the resprouts were collected, in the dry season. The results showed that the essential oil yield and chemical composition differed among the stems, leaves and resprouts. The stems' essential oil production differed between the seasons and had a higher production in the resprouting stems than the old stems of the remaining crown. The production of essential oil and leaf biomass of resprouts were differently related to the canopy openness, indicating that light increases the production of the essential oil and decreases the biomass of resprouting leaves. This study revealed that plant organs differ in their essential oil production and that the canopy openness must be taken into account when pruning the A. canelilla tree crown in order to achieve higher oil productivity.

Does fertilizer type and method of application cause significant differences in essential oil yield and composition in rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.)?

Organic fertilizers based on seaweed extract potentially have beneficial effects on many crop plants. Herewe investigate the impact of organic fertilizer on Rosmarinus officinalis measured by both yield and oilquality. Plants grown in a temperature-controlled greenhouse with a natural photoperiod and a controlledirrigation system were treated with seaweed fertilizer and an inorganic fertilizer of matching mineralcomposition but with no organic content. Treatments were either by spraying on to the foliage or wateringdirect to the compost. The essential oil was extracted by hydro-distillation with a Clevenger apparatusand analysed by gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC–MS) and NMR. The chemical composi-tions of the plants were compared, and qualitative differences were found between fertilizer treatmentsand application methods. Thus sprayed seaweed fertilizer showed a significantly higher percentage of�-pinene, �-phellandrene, �-terpinene (monoterpenes) and 3-methylenecycloheptene than other treat-ments. Italicene, �-bisabolol (sesquiterpenes), �-thujene, and E-isocitral (monoterpenes) occurred insignificantly higher percentages for plants watered with the seaweed extract. Each was significantly dif-ferent to the inorganic fertilizer and to controls. The seaweed treatments caused a significant increasein oil amount and leaf area as compared with both inorganic treatments and the control regardless ofapplication method.

Biomass production and essential oil yield in Ageratum conyzoides L. - Asteraceae in different stages of development

An experiment was carried out at Sâo Manuel Experimental Farm, FCA-UNESP, Botucatu-SP, in 1994 and 1995, aiming to determine the biomass production and essential oil yield of mentrasto (Ageratum conyzoides L. - Asteraceae) in different stages of development. The statistical design used was a complete randomized block with 8 replications and 3 treatments (pre-flowering, flowering and post-flowering). The spacing was 70 cm between rows and 50 cm between plants, with 70 plants/parcel. The seedlings were transplanted 40 days after sowing. After harvesting, the fragments (roots, stems, leaves, flowers) and whole plants were washed, separated and weighted. The extractions of essential oil were done by hydrodistillation, using Clevenger apparatus, for two hours. There were statistic differences (Tukey 5%) in fresh weight of all vegetal parts w'hen harvested in different development stages. About essential oil yield, statistic differences were not verified among the treatments.

Seasonal Variation of Essential Oil Yield and Composition of Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) Grown in Castilla - La Mancha (Central Spain)

Links between phenology, yield and composition of the essential oil of common sage, Salvia officinalis L., grown in Guadalajara (Central Spain) were determined in the different phases of the biological cycle during one year. Data showed an average yield about 1.0%. The analysis of the oil components was carried out by GC-FID and GC/MS. The main oil constituent was alpha thujone (40.1 - 46.5%). Other identified compounds are beta pinene (2.6 - 4.5%), cineole (3.5 - 8.7%), beta thujone (4.1 - 5.6%), camphor (4.1 - 8.0%), borneol (1.3 - 3.7%), alpha humulene (3.8 - 7.3%), viridiflorol (3.4-12.6%) and manool (0.1-4.5%). The highest yield of oil was obtained in the period of full flowering and the highest concentration of alpha thujone in the period of initial flowering.

Metabolic engineering of essential oil yield and composition in mint by altering expression of deoxyxylulose phosphate reductoisomerase and menthofuran synthase

Peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) was independently transformed with a homologous sense version of the 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase cDNA and with a homologous antisense version of the menthofuran synthase cDNA, both driven by the CaMV 35S promoter. Two groups of transgenic plants were regenerated in the reductoisomerase experiments, one of which remained normal in appearance and development; another was deficient in chlorophyll production and grew slowly. Transgenic plants of normal appearance and growth habit expressed the reductoisomerase transgene strongly and constitutively, as determined by RNA blot analysis and direct enzyme assay, and these plants accumulated substantially more essential oil (about 50% yield increase) without change in monoterpene composition compared with wild-type. Chlorophyll-deficient plants did not afford detectable reductoisomerase mRNA or enzyme activity and yielded less essential oil than did wild-type plants, indicating cosuppression of the reductoisomerase gene. Plants transformed with the antisense version of the menthofuran synthase cDNA were normal in appearance but produced less than half of this undesirable monoterpene oil component than did wild-type mint grown under unstressed or stressed conditions. These experiments demonstrate that essential oil quantity and quality can be regulated by metabolic engineering. Thus, alteration of the committed step of the mevalonate-independent pathway for supply of terpenoid precursors improves flux through the pathway that leads to increased monoterpene production, and antisense manipulation of a selected downstream monoterpene biosynthetic step leads to improved oil composition.

Yield of essential oil and safrole content based on fresh and dry biomass of long pepper in the Brazilian Amazon

Long pepper (Piper hispidinervum) is an Amazonian species of commercial interest due to the production of safrole. Drying long pepper biomass to extract safrole is a time consuming and costly process that can also result in the contamination of the material by microorganisms. The objective of this study was to analyze the yield of essential oil and safrole content of fresh and dried biomass of long pepper accessions maintained in the Active Germoplasm Bank of Embrapa Acre, in the state of Acre, Brazil, aiming at selecting genotypes with best performance on fresh biomass to recommend to the breeding program of the species. Yield of essential oil and safrole content were assessed in 15 long pepper accessions. The essential oil extraction was performed by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography. A joint analysis of experiments was performed and the means of essential oil yield and safrole content for each biomass were compared by Student's t-test. There was variability in the essential oil yield and safrole content. There was no difference between the types of biomass for oil yield; however to the safrole content there was difference. Populations 9, 10, 12 and 15 had values of oil yield between 4.1 and 5.3%, and safrole content between 87.2 and 94.3%. The drying process does not interfere in oil productivity. These populations have potential for selection to the long pepper breeding program using oil extraction in the fresh biomass

Jatropha seed oil content and yield under different irrigation and potassium fertilization levels

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of different irrigation depths and potassium dosages, of Jatropha seed oil content and yield. The experimental design used was randomized blocks, in split-plots, with four replicates. The treatments were four water depths (plots) and four potassium dosages (subplots) applied through irrigation water. The water depths were applied based on the percentage of accumulated evaporation of a Class A (ECA) tank and of rainfall, as following: L0 = without irrigation, L40, L80 and L120, representing 40, 80 and 120% of the balance, respectively. The potassium dosages were K30, K60, K90 and K120 (30, 60, 90 and 120kg ha-1 of potassium, respectively). The oil extraction of samples was done through chemical extraction by organic solvent. The seeds used in this test were from the sampling of two seed productions from 2009, second year of crop production. It was possible to observe that irrigation use increased oil yield and decreased the oil content of Jatropha seed. Potassium fertilization did not influence oil content and yield. There was a relative increase of efficiency in water use producing oil until certain water depth, and after that there was a decrease.

Yield and Composition of the Essential Oil of Basil on Plant Growth Regulators Application

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Yield and composition of the essential oil of Mentha piperita L. (Lamiaceae) grown with biosolid

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Shade level effects on yield and chemical composition of the leaf essential oil of Pothomorphe umbellata (L.) Miquel

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Chemical constituents of the volatile oil from leaves of Annona coriacea and in vitro antiprotozoal activity

The essential oil of the leaves from Annona coriacea Mart., Annonaceae, was extracted by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger apparatus and analyzed by GC/MS and GC/FID. The oil yield was 0.05% m/m. Sixty compounds were identified, in a complex mixture of sesquiterpenes (76.7%), monoterpenes (20.0%) and other constituents (3.3%). Bicyclogermacrene was its major compound (39.8%) followed by other sesquiterpenes. Most of the monoterpenes were in low concentration (<1%). Only β-pinene and pseudolimonene presented the highest level of 1.6%. The volatile oil presented anti-leishmanial and trypanocidal activity against promastigotes of four species of Leishmania and trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, showing to be more active against Leishmania (L.) chagasi (IC50 39.93 µ g/mL) (95% CI 28.00-56.95 µ g/mL).

Enzymatic technology to improve oil extraction from Caryocar brasiliense camb. (Pequi) Pulp.

The present study aims to compare yield and quality of pequi pulp oil when applying two distinct processes: in the first, pulp drying in a tray dryer at 60ºC was combined with enzymatic treatment and pressing to oil extraction; in the second, a simple process was carried out by combining sun-drying pulp and pressing. In this study, raw pequi fruits were collected in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. The fruits were autoclaved at 121ºC and stored under refrigeration. An enzymatic extract with pectinase and CMCase activities was used for hydrolysis of pequi pulp, prior to oil extraction. The oil extractions were carried out by hydraulic pressing, with or without enzymatic incubation. The oil content in the pequi pulp (45% w/w) and the physicochemical characteristic of the oil was determined according to standard analytical methods. Free fatty acids, peroxide values, iodine and saponification indices were respectively 1.46 mgKOH/g, 2.98 meq/kg, 49.13 and 189.40. The acidity and peroxide values were lower than the obtained values in commercial oil samples, respectively 2.48 mgKOH/g and 5.22 meq/kg. Aqueous extraction has presented lower efficiency and higher oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. On the other hand, pequi pulp pressing at room temperature has produced better quality oil. However its efficiency is still smaller than the combined enzymatic treatment and pressing process. This combined process promotes cellular wall hydrolysis and pulp viscosity reduction, contributing to at least 20% of oil yield increase by pressing.

Characterization of a high oleic oil extracted from papaya (Carica papaya L.) seeds

The physicochemical characteristics, fatty acid, tocopherol, and carotenoid composition of a crude oil extracted from papaya (Carica papaya L.) seeds, formosa variety, were investigated. The oil yield from the seeds was 29.16%. The data obtained for the analytical indexes were in agreement with those of other edible oils. The oil obtained had high oxidation resistance (77.97 hours). The major fatty acids in total lipid were oleic (71.30%), palmitic (16.16%), linoleic (6.06%), and stearic (4.73%) acid. The α and δ-tocopherol were the predominant tocopherols with 51.85 and 18.89 mg.kg-1, respectivelly. The β-cryptoxanthin (4.29 mg.kg-1) and β-carotene (2.76 mg.kg-1) were the carotenoids quantified, and the content of total phenolic compounds was 957.60 mg.kg-1. Therefore, the potential utilization of the papaya seeds for oil production seems favorable. However, toxicological studies need to be carried out before the oil is appropriate for food applications.

Seasonal changes in olive fruit characteristics and oil accumulation during ripening process

Olive fruits of three of the most important Spanish and Italian cultivars, 'Picual', `Hojiblanca' and 'Frantoio', were harvested at bi-weekly periods during three crop seasons to study their development and ripening process. Fresh and dry weights and ripening index were determined for fruit, while dry matter, oil and moisture contents were determined in both fruit and pulp (flesh). Fruit growth rate and oil accumulation were calculated. Each olive cultivar showed a different ripening pattern, 'Hojiblanca' being the last one to maturate. Fruit weight increased, decreasing its growth rate from the middle of November. Dry matter and moisture contents decreased during ripening in pulp and fruit, 'Hojiblanca' showing the highest values for both. Oil content, when expressed on a fresh weight basis, increased in all cultivars, although for the last time period showed variations due to climatic conditions. During ripening, oil content on a dry weight basis increased in fruit, but oil biosynthesis in flesh ceased from November. Olive fruits presented lower oil and higher dry matter contents in the year of lowest rainfall. Therefore fruit harvesting should be carried out from the middle of November in order to obtain the highest oil yield and avoid natural fruit drop. (C) 2004 Society of Chemical Industry.

Edible oil from Tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.): mechanical pressing and aqueous enzymatic extraction methods

The tiger nut tuber of the Cyperus esculentus L. plant is an unusual storage system with similar amounts of starch and lipid. The extraction of its oil employing both mechanical pressing and aqueous enzymatic extraction (AEE) methods was investigated and an examination of the resulting products was carried out. The effects of particle size and moisture content of the tuber on the yield of tiger nut oil with pressing were initially studied. Smaller particles were found to enhance oil yields while a range of moisture content was observed to favour higher oil yields. When samples were first subjected to high pressures up to 700 MPa before pressing at 38 MPa there was no increase in the oil yields. Ground samples incubated with a mixture of α- Amylase, Alcalase, and Viscozyme (a mixture of cell wall degrading enzyme) as a pre-treatment, increased oil yield by pressing and 90% of oil was recovered as a result. When aqueous enzymatic extraction was carried out on ground samples, the use of α- Amylase, Alcalase, and Celluclast independently improved extraction oil yields compared to oil extraction without enzymes by 34.5, 23.4 and 14.7% respectively. A mixture of the three enzymes further augmented the oil yield and different operational factors were individually studied for their effects on the process. These include time, total mixed enzyme concentration, linear agitation speed, and solid-liquid ratio. The largest oil yields were obtained with a solid-liquid ratio of 1:6, mixed enzyme concentration of 1% (w/w) and 6 h incubation time although the longer time allowed for the formation of an emulsion. Using stationary samples during incubation surprisingly gave the highest oil yields, and this was observed to be as a result of gravity separation occurring during agitation. Furthermore, the use of high pressure processing up to 300 MPa as a pre-treatment enhanced oil yields but additional pressure increments had a detrimental effect. The quality of oils recovered from both mechanical and aqueous enzymatic extraction based on the percentage free fatty acid (% FFA) and peroxide values (PV) all reflected the good stabilities of the oils with the highest % FFA of 1.8 and PV of 1.7. The fatty acid profiles of all oils also remained unchanged. The level of tocopherols in oils were enhanced with both enzyme aided pressing (EAP) and high pressure processing before AEE. Analysis on the residual meals revealed DP 3 and DP 4 oligosaccharides present in EAP samples but these would require further assessment on their identity and quality.