Indian Journal of Science and Technology

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Assessment of Relationship between Effective Traits on Yield and Citral Content of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis L.) Populations Using Path Analysis


Affiliations
1 Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran, Islamic Republic of
2 Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Miyaneh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Miyaneh, Iran, Islamic Republic of
 

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) is one of the most important medicinal plants in the world trade that contains essential oils and has many applications in drug and flavoring industrials. In this study the relationships between the effective characters on yield, citral content and morphological traits in nine Iranian lemon balm populations and two populations from Germany and Japan were assessed in field conditions. Path analysis was performed on plant characters of 11 lemon balm populations to determine for essential oils yield, the direct and indirect effects of the following traits: essential oils percentage, citral content, plant height, number of tiller, chlorophyll index, number of nodes, stem diameter, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area index (LAI), total fresh weight, fresh weight of leaves in the lower a second of plant (L1f), fresh weight of leaves in the upper a second of plant (L2f), fresh weight of stems in the lower a second of plant (S1f), fresh weight of stems in the upper a second of plant (S2f), total dry weight, dry weight of leaves in the lower a second of plant (L1d), dry weight of leaves in the upper a second of plant (L2d), dry weight of stems in the lower a second of plant (S1d), dry weight of stems in the upper a second of plant (S2d) and dry/fresh weight ratio. Essential oils yield was significantly correlated with the leaf width, essential oils percentage and citral content. The result of path analysis showed that essential oil percentage and leaf width had the highest and lowest direct effect on essential oil yield in the assessed populations, respectively. Using these results, breeders can collect plants with high shoot yield, in order to select plants with high essential oil.

Keywords

Lemon Balm, Path Analysis, Essential Oils Yield, Morphological Traits
User

  • Mirzaie-Nodoushan H, Rezaie M B et al. (2001). Path analysis of the essential oil-related characters in Mentha spp. Flavour and Fragrance Journal, vol 16(5), 340-343.

  • Patora J, Majda T, et al. (2003). Variability in the content and composition of essential oil from lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) cultivated in Poland, Acta Polnise Pharmaceutica—Drug Research, vol 60(5), 395-400.

  • Simon J E, Chadwic A F et al. (1984). Herbs: An Indexed Bibliography, 1971-1980, The Scientific Literature on Selected Herbs, and Aromatic and Medicinal Plants of the Temperate Zone, Archon Books, Hamden, CT, USA.

  • Talle B, Darvish F. et al. (2012). Assessment of relationship between effective Traits on yield and compounds of essential oil and morphological traits of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) accessions using path analysis and canonical correlation. Journal of Basic and Applied Scientific Research, vol 2(4), 3719-3723.

  • Tavares A C, pimento M C et al. (1996). Micropropagation of Melissa officinalis L. through proliferation of axillary shoots. Plant Cell Reports, vol 15(6), 441-444.

  • Tucker A O, and DeBaggio T (2000). The big book of herbs: a comprehensive illustrated reference to herbs of flavor and fragrance, Loveland, CO: Interweave Press.

  • Tyler V E. (1999). Herbs affecting the central nervous system. Janick J (Ed.), Perspectives on new crops and new uses, ASHS Press. Alexandria, VA, USA, 442-449.

  • Voigt CE. (2006). Lemon balm, not just a sweet smelling weed anymore, The herbarist, vol 72, 9-13.


Abstract Views: 636

PDF Views: 0




  • Assessment of Relationship between Effective Traits on Yield and Citral Content of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis L.) Populations Using Path Analysis

Abstract Views: 636  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Saeid Aharizad
Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran, Islamic Republic of
Mohammad Hasan Rahimi
Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran, Islamic Republic of
Mahmoud Toorchi
Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran, Islamic Republic of
Nasser Mohebalipour
Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Miyaneh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Miyaneh, Iran, Islamic Republic of

Abstract


Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) is one of the most important medicinal plants in the world trade that contains essential oils and has many applications in drug and flavoring industrials. In this study the relationships between the effective characters on yield, citral content and morphological traits in nine Iranian lemon balm populations and two populations from Germany and Japan were assessed in field conditions. Path analysis was performed on plant characters of 11 lemon balm populations to determine for essential oils yield, the direct and indirect effects of the following traits: essential oils percentage, citral content, plant height, number of tiller, chlorophyll index, number of nodes, stem diameter, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area index (LAI), total fresh weight, fresh weight of leaves in the lower a second of plant (L1f), fresh weight of leaves in the upper a second of plant (L2f), fresh weight of stems in the lower a second of plant (S1f), fresh weight of stems in the upper a second of plant (S2f), total dry weight, dry weight of leaves in the lower a second of plant (L1d), dry weight of leaves in the upper a second of plant (L2d), dry weight of stems in the lower a second of plant (S1d), dry weight of stems in the upper a second of plant (S2d) and dry/fresh weight ratio. Essential oils yield was significantly correlated with the leaf width, essential oils percentage and citral content. The result of path analysis showed that essential oil percentage and leaf width had the highest and lowest direct effect on essential oil yield in the assessed populations, respectively. Using these results, breeders can collect plants with high shoot yield, in order to select plants with high essential oil.

Keywords


Lemon Balm, Path Analysis, Essential Oils Yield, Morphological Traits

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.17485/ijst%2F2013%2Fv6i5%2F33244