ESSENTIAL OIL AND HYDROSOL CONSTITUENTS OF LOPHANTHUS ANISATUS: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Lophanthus anisatus (syn. Agastache foeniculum) produces an essential oil (EO) characterized by high concentrations of phenylpropanoids.The main constituent is estragole (methyl chavicol), which often represents 70–95 % of the oil (Charles et al., 1991; Stefan et al., 2022). Other reported components include limonene, eugenol, methyl eugenol, chavicol, and β-caryophyllene in smaller proportions (Nykänen et al., 1989; Bălănescu et al., 2023). The yield of EO typically ranges between 1.5 % and 2.3 % of dry aerial biomass depending on extraction method and plant organ (Stefan et al., 2022). Hydrosol, the aqueous co-product of hydrodistillation, contains trace volatiles distinct from the EO profile (Xin et al., 2023). While the EO is rich in estragole, hydrosols are enriched in more water-soluble oxygenated compounds such as alcohols and aldehydes (Monsef-Esfahani et al., 2014). This compositional difference suggests that hydrosols may have milder bioactivity compared to the corresponding EO. Nevertheless, EO studies have demonstrated antimicrobial, antioxidant, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effects linked to its estragole chemotype (Ivanov et al., 2019; Bălănescu et al., 2023). Due to the high estragole content, safety assessments are required because estragole is considered a potential genotoxic carcinogen (EFSA, 2011; EMA, 2023). Overall, L. anisatus EO and hydrosol represent promising resources for herbal, pharmaceutical, and aromatic applications, provided that regulatory considerations are addressed