COMPARISON OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL INGREDIENTS FROM A WILD POPULATION OF ST. JOHN'S WORT (HYPERICUM PERFORATUM) IN ITS NATURAL ENVIRONMENT VERSUS INTENSIVE CULTIVATION

Rezumat

Hypericum perforatum, widely recognized as St. John's wort, is a member of the Hypericaceae family. This herb is noted for its therapeutic properties, particularly its potent anti-inflammatory and antidepressant effects. The present study aims to analyze the essential oil content and its characteristics from a natural population of the plant in its native habitat, as well as from an intensively cultivated population in Larissa during the year 2023. The population originates from Ellinopirgos, Karditsa, situated on Agrafa Mountain at an altitude of 650 meters. The harvest was carried out manually on two occasions (the first on 10/6/2023 and the second on 19/7/2023) for the population established in the Larissa region under intensive cultivation, while it was performed once (on 25/6/2023) for the natural population located in the Ellinopirgos area. Following each sampling, the collected samples were sent to the laboratory for drying until a stable weight was reached. A sufficient number of samples from both locations were subjected to hydrodistillation to obtain the essential oil, using a Clevenger apparatus in the Laboratory. The results indicated a variation in the components of the essential oils, with certain substances exhibiting a zero percent content depending the sampling. These substances included: cadinene-δ, cadinene-γ, cadinol-α, dodecanol-n, (E)-β-farnesene, himachalene-β, himachalene-γ, himachalol, limonene, muurolene-γ, myrcene, nonane (N-), pinene-β, and undecane (N-). Additionally, among the other detected substances, which were caryophyllene (E-), caryophyllene-oxide, himachalene-α, pinene-α, selinene-α, selinene-β, spathulenol, and tetradecanol (n-), statistically significant differences were observed between the two cuts in intensive cultivation as well as across the various environments. This control study serves as a basis for further research into other natural populations to determine whether the essential oil content and its characteristics are influenced by the ecological conditions of the area or are inherent to the biotype. The presentation of these findings may provide a crucial cultivation guide for St. John's wort, aiding in the selection of areas and populations with the ultimate goal of optimizing its production (experiments in progress).