Sustainable Agronomical Practices Affect Essential Oil Composition of <i>Tanacetum balsamita</i> L.

This study evaluated the influence of compost and bioinoculants (mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting bacteria) on the yield and composition of essential oil extracted from <i>Tanacetum balsamita</i> L. over two growing seasons. The plants were cultivated under four treatments: c...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Martina Grattacaso, Alessandra Bonetti, Sara Di Lonardo, Luigi Paolo D’Acqui
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-08-01
Series:Plants
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/15/2406
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Summary:This study evaluated the influence of compost and bioinoculants (mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting bacteria) on the yield and composition of essential oil extracted from <i>Tanacetum balsamita</i> L. over two growing seasons. The plants were cultivated under four treatments: compost, bioinoculants, a combination (bioinoculants + compost), and a control. At each harvest, essential oil was extracted from fresh leaves via stem-flow distillation and analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with single quadrupole mass spectrometry. Twenty to twenty-four compounds were identified. Based on the dominant terpene derivative, the results indicated that <i>Tanacetum balsamita</i> L. cultivated in Italy belongs to “camphor” chemotype, a pharmacologically active compound known for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. Moreover, three compounds, α-, β-phellandrene and myrtenol, were identified as typical of <i>Tanacetum balsamita</i> L. cultivated in Italy. Treatment effects were significant for some compounds (camphor, borneol, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, dehydro sabinene ketone, and 3-thujanol), and the interaction between treatment and year was significant for a few compounds (borneol, terpinen-4-ol, dehydro sabinene ketone, 1,8-cineol, and 3-thujanol). These results emphasize the need to account for seasonal variation and underline the necessity of a deeper understanding of how experimental factors interact with them, especially in long-term essential oil studies.
ISSN:2223-7747