Physiological Factors Influencing Chemical Composition and Essential Oil Yield Across Plant Organs: Importance of Harvesting Timing and Plant Part Selection during Herbal Formulation
The quality of a product available for purchase depends significantly on both the excellence of its raw materials and the effectiveness of its extraction, formulation, and manufacturing processes. The safety and advantages of a product are inherently tied to its overall quality, which, in turn, hinges on the practices employed throughout the agricultural supply chain.
The following provides a summary of the physiological factors affecting the chemical composition and essential oil yield in different plant organs, highlighting the importance of harvest time and plant part used.
| Plant | Organ Used | Major Compounds | Essential Oil Yield | Optimal Harvest Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citrus aurantium subsp. aurantium | Peel (Epicarp) | Limonene | High | - | Oil of Bigarade |
| - | Flowers | Monoterpenic alcohols (Linalool 30-60%) | Moderate | - | Neroli Oil |
| - | Leaves and Young Shoots | Linalyl acetate (60-70%) | Moderate | - | Oil of Petit Grain |
| Curcuma longa | Rhizomes | Sesquiterpenic ketones (α-, β-, ar-turmerone) | High | - | - |
| - | Leaves | - | Low | - | Lacks sesquiterpenic ketones |
| Laurus azorica | Leaves | α-pinene (15-37%), 1,8-cineole (12-31%) | Moderate | - | - |
| - | Unripe Berries | trans-β-ocimene (27-45%), α-pinene (12-22%) | Moderate | - | - |
| Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum | Leaves | Carvacrol, Thymol | Varies by gland | - | - |
| Satureja hortensis | Petals, Calyces, Leaves | Carvacrol, γ-terpinene | Variable | - | Differences in oil content based on plant part |
| Mentha × piperita | Leaves | Menthol (increases 16% to 40-50% post-blooming), Menthone (decreases 30-40% to 6-10%) | Moderate | Post-blooming | - |
| Salvia officinalis | Whole Plant | α-thujone (decreases from 48% to 24%) | Moderate | Blooming | - |
| Thymus hyemalis | Whole Plant | γ-terpinene, p-cymene, thymol | High | Full bloom to beginning of fruit maturation | - |
| Coriandrum sativus | Fruits | Linalool (increases with maturity) | Moderate | Mature fruits | - |
| Foeniculum vulgare | Seeds | Anethole (increases from 47% to 80% at full ripeness) | High | Full ripeness | - |
| Melissa officinalis | Leaves | Citral (decreases frm 37% to 0.5%), Citronellal (increases from 1% to 52%) | Moderate | - | Top (young) to basal (old) region |
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