Planta Med 2015; 81 - PW_225
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1565849

Effect of the growing location on herb yield and active substances of Melissa officinalis and Thymus vulgaris

É Németh-Zámboriné 1, K Szabó 1, Z Pluhar 1, D Szabó 1, M Malekzadeh 1, P Radácsi 1, K Seidler-Lozykowska 2
  • 1Department of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
  • 2Institute of Natural Fibres and Medicinal Plants, Poznan, Poland

Lemon balm and thyme are important and popular MAP species widely utilized and processed all over the world. In the practise, the production of these species is going on under diverse ecological conditions. The goal of our investigation was studying the effect of growing location, as complex environment on these species.

In 2014 open field plots were established in Budapest (BP) and Poznan (PZ) characterised by different soil and weather conditions. Five cultivars of lemon balm ('Lorelei', 'Lemona', 'Soroksári', 'Quedlinburger Niederliegende' and 'Gold Leaf') and four cultivars of thyme ('Sloneczko', French Summer', 'Varico 3' and 'Standard Winter') were tested. Herb yield, essential oil content, total phenolics, total flavonoid and rosmarinic acid contents were investigated.

Significant differences of herb mass of lemon balm were found: 291 and 107 g/plant in PZ and BP, respectively. Similarly, shoot bimass of thyme was double in PZ than in BP (105 and 53 g/plant, respectively). In PZ, total phenolic content was higher by 10% (lemon balm) and 20% (thyme), flavonoid content elevated by 57% (lemon balm) and 27% (thyme) compared to BP. Only essential oil content of lemon balm proved to be higher in BP than in PZ (0.185 and 0.105%, respectively). That of thyme, however, was more favourable in PZ (+27%).

Besides, differences among cultivars were detected. In lemon balm 'Soroksári' responded strongly, while 'Gold leaf' changed least. In thyme, for each characteristics different cultivar proved to be most sensitive: essential oil content of 'Varico 3', flavonoid content of 'Standard Winter', and phenolic content of 'Sloneczko' showed largest differences.

Data show, that the quality of the drugs of these typical Mediterranean species may be excellent also at Northern locations. Although accumulation of phenolics might be the result of stress conditions, the higher biomass in our case contradicts to this assumption.

Acknowledgement: The research is supported by OTKA Grant Nr. NN108633.