Abstract Peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) oil is one of the most popular and widely used essential oils, mostly because of its main components menthol and menthone. Peppermint oil is used for flavouring pharmaceuticals and oral preparations. Corn mint is the richest source of natural menthol. Carvone-scented mint plants, such as spearmint (M. spicata), are rich in carvone and are widely used as spices, and they are cultivated in several countries. Studies were made into the yield and essential oil content of several mint species and the original. The general aim of the work was to examine the optimal conditions for cultivating mint in Northern Finland. The specific aims of the study were (first) to investigate the differences in the oil content for several mint species and (secondly) to compare the effect of various factors such as plant spacing (10, 20 and 30 × 50 cm), liming (0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 tons ha-1), propagation methods (micropropagated and conventionally propagated plants) and harvest date (once at the end of August in comparison with first cut at the beginning of August and second cut in mid September) on the cultivation success, quality and quantity of the plants. The constituents of the essential oil were analysed from leaf samples using GC-MS. Among the peppermints of different origins studied, peppermint of USA and Egypt origin ('Black Mitcham') contain the highest menthol and optimum oil yield. Corn mint and Sachalin mints both had high menthol content. Due to several reasons, such as no significant differences between the different densities and oil composition, markedly higher amount of weeds at 30 × 50 cm than at 10 × 50 and 20 × 50 cm spacing and the high seedling costs and the danger of fungi and disease at a 10 × 50 cm spacing, a plant optimum of 20 × 50 cm spacing is recommended for Northern Ostrobothnia. If the pH value is lower than 6, or levels of Mg and Ca are low, liming at a rate of 4–8 t ha-1 for sandy soils in Finland is recommended in order to achieve higher fresh and oil yields. In the first year, there were no differences in the dry leaf yield of micropropagated and conventionally propagated plants, but the menthol content was significantly higher in conventionally than in micropropagated plants. In the second year, only the dry leaf yield of micropropagated plants was higher than that of their conventionally propagated counterparts. Cutting peppermint only once during full bloom (the end of August) gives the maximum oil yield of good quality. In conclusion, it is possible to achieve as high as or even higher oil quality and dry yield in North Ostrobothnia than it is in central Europe or south Asia. However, this requires observing certain cultivation factors such as having the right type of mint, soil pH, planting density, harvesting time and propagation method In addition, mints must be cultivated in the same place for only two and a maximum for three years.

Submitted by Sandra Pereira (srpereira@ufrrj.br) on 2017-03-30T12:28:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010 - Marco Andre Alves de Souza.pdf: 5657340 bytes, checksum: becf46e090a1ebcc4a731b733c77fb6a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-30T12:28:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010 - Marco Andre Alves de Souza.pdf: 5657340 bytes, checksum: becf46e090a1ebcc4a731b733c77fb6a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-01-18 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico - CNPq / The cultivation of aromatic specimens for obtaining essential oils have great economic importance, mainly by increasing demand in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry. Brazil is the largest producer of essential oil, however, is what earns less in money value, because, its production is mainly of orange essential oil, with low added value. The essential oil of M. arvensis is rich in menthol (70-80%), a natural products with higher demand in daily life of modern man. Currently, Brazil has become a major importer of menthol which has contributed negatively to the brazilian trade balance. Thus, for the development of this work was chosen to be a specimens of economic interest and social demand, the Mentha arvensis. The purpose of study was to evaluate whether changes in light intensities and different levels of phosphorus promote changes in biomass production and nutrition, with consequences for the biosynthesis of essential oils. We also analyzed the influence of leaf age on the quality of essential oil. To this end, the plant of M. arvensis was grown under the effect of different conditions, which allowed the analysis of the levels of soluble fractions, of photosynthetic pigments, the activities of enzymes related to nitrogen assimilation and the anatomical and histochemical study of trichomes, morphological structure where it is produce the essential oil. The study also included analysis of the expression of genes related to the route of menthol synthesis. The essential oil was obtained by extraction with hydrodestillation in modified Clevenger and the chemical analysis of substances obtained by GC-MS. The Kovats index was used to collaborate in identification of the main substances in essential oil. The results showed that the essential oil quality is determined by physiological conditions and leaf age and that the production is dependent on the synthesis efficiency and density of trichomes on the leaves. In addition, it was found that different concentrations of phosphorus affected some aspects of plant metabolism, which reflected the production of biomass in the soluble fraction, with consequences on production and quality of essential oils. Also showed that variations in light levels affected the expression of six of the eight genes involved in the route of synthesis of menthol, in plants of M. arvensis and that changes in gene expression are probably associated with a transcription factor, which could be acting on the whole pathway. All of this information showed that environmental conditions and / or nutritional affected some aspects of plant metabolism, which reflected the production of biomass, of trichomes and on the expression of genes related to the route of menthol, which reflect on the quality and the production of essential oils / O cultivo de esp?cies arom?ticas para a obten??o de ?leos essenciais tem grande import?ncia econ?mica, principalmente, pela crescente demanda nas ind?strias de alimentos, de cosm?ticos e a farmac?utica. O Brasil ? o maior produtor de ?leo essencial, entretanto, ? o que menos arrecada em valores monet?rios, pois, sua produ??o ? basicamente de ?leo essencial de laranja, com baixo valor agregado. O ?leo essencial de Mentha arvensis L. ? rico em mentol (70-80%), uma dos produtos naturais com maior demanda no dia-a-dia do homem moderno. Atualmente, o Brasil tornou-se um grande importador de mentol o que tem contribu?do negativamente para a balan?a comercial brasileira. Deste modo, para o desenvolvimento deste trabalho escolheu-se a planta M. arvensis. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar se varia??es nas intensidades luminosas e diferentes concentra??es de f?sforo promovem altera??es na produ??o de biomassa e em aspectos nutricionais, com reflexos na bioss?ntese de ?leos essenciais. Tamb?m foi avaliada a influ?ncia da idade da folha sobre a qualidade do ?leo essencial. Com esta finalidade, a planta de M. arvensis foi cultivada sob o efeito de diferentes condi??es, o que permitiu a an?lise dos teores das fra??es sol?veis, dos pigmentos fotossint?ticos, das atividades das enzimas relacionadas com a assimila??o do nitrog?nio e o estudo histoqu?mico e anat?mico dos tricomas secretores, estrutura morfol?gica onde ? produzido o ?leo essencial. Tamb?m foram realizadas analises da express?o dos genes relacionados com a rota de s?ntese do mentol. O ?leo essencial foi obtido por hidrodestila??o em Clevenger modificado e as analises qu?micas das subst?ncias realizadas por CG/EM. A utiliza??o do ?ndice de Kovats auxiliou na identific??o das principais subst?ncias no ?leo essencial. Os resultados permitiram concluir que a qualidade do ?leo essencial ? determinada pelas condi??es fisiol?gicas e a idade das folhas e que a produ??o ? dependente da efici?ncia de s?ntese e a densidade de tricomas secretores nas folhas. Al?m disso, foi constatado que as diferentes concentra??es de f?sforo afetaram alguns aspectos do metabolismo vegetal, os quais refletiram na produ??o de biomassa, nas fra??es sol?veis, com conseq??ncias na produ??o e qualidade dos ?leos essenciais. Tamb?m, mostraram que varia??es nos n?veis de luminosidade afetaram a express?o de seis entre os oito genes envolvidos com a rota de s?ntese do mentol, em plantas de M. arvensis e que as altera??es na express?o dos genes provavelmente est?o associados a um fator de transcri??o, o qual deve estar atuando sobre toda a rota metab?lica