Productivity and biochemical composition of Mentha piperita L. of different origin

Abstract

Biochemical composition analysis of peppermint of different origin was carried out at the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture. Mentha × piperita L. collection samples from Lithuania and the cultivar ‘Krasnodarskaya’ from Ukraine were grown under the same meteorological and agrotechnical conditions. According to the data of 2006–2007, the biological properties of the plants were similar, but their productivity and chemical value differed. Peppermint of Polish origin produced the highest green herb yield (10.2–10.7 t ha–1). A similar or only slightly different content of total sugar (1.78–1.94%), ascorbic acid (25.2–26.1 100 g–1) and dry soluble solids (10.0–10.9%) were found in the investigated peppermints. The content of pigments directly depended on the origin of the plants. The highest content of chlorophylls (2.0 mg g–1) and the lowest content of carotenoids (2.8 mg%) were found in the collection sample from Lithuania. Peppermints of Polish origin, on the contrary, produced the lowest amount of chlorophyll (1.7 mg g–1) and the biggest amount of carotenoids (3.1 mg%). The indices of the cultivar ‘Krasnodarskaya’ were in the middle: 1.8 mg g–1 of chlorophyll and 3.0 mg% of carotenoids. In the raw material of peppermint of Lithuanian origin there were 0.17% of essential oils, in cultivar ‘Krasnodarskaya’ 0.42%, and in peppermint of Polish origin the biggest amount – 0.60%. Keywords: peppermint, Mentha piperita L., biochemical composition, essential oils, chlorophyll, carotenoids