Chemical composition of the essential oil of Aloysia triphylla (L'Hér) Britton due to water deficit and seasonality

Abstract

The essential oil has change in relation to environmental variations with changes according to exposure to stress and seasonal period. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of essential oil of the Aloysia triphylla subjected to different periods of drought in the four seasons. The experiment was conducted in greenhouse, in randomized block design in a bifactorial 5x4. The treatments consisted of five periods of water deficit (3, 6, 9, 12 days without irrigation and daily irrigation) and four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter), with five repetitions. The evaluations were conducted in the middle of each season. The essential oil components showed changes only in relation to the seasons, did not differ between periods of water deficit. Citral decreased concentration in winter and increased in the fall and summer. The winter season favored minority components.