Effect of phenological stages on essential oil composition of Cytisus triflorus L’Her

Abstract Essential oil is widely used in perfumery, cosmetic, pharmaceutic and food industries. The economics of essential oil production depend on both parameters; the cultivation of aromatic herbs and the extraction of oils from these herbs. This study investigated for the first time the variation in essential oil and composition of Cytisus triflorus L'Her plant at different growth times (vegetative, flowering and fruiting stages). Essential oil was extracted by hydro-distillation. The flowering stage show the highest essential oil yield (0.61 ± 0.02 mL/100 g) compared to those of vegetative (0.41 ± 0.01 mL/100 g) and fruiting (0.17 ± 0.01 mL/100 g) stages. For all growth stages, Thirty-eight compounds were identified, representing 93.21% – 95.47% of the oil, where the main components were β-linalool (28.28 to 38.04%), Geraniol (19.82 to 27.73%), Retinal (4.33 to 9.26%), p-Mentha-1,4-dien-8-ol (2.09 to 4.08%), γ-Terpinene (1.27 to 4.86%) and Eugenol (2.07 to 2.28%). Monoterpene hydrocarbons were detected at higher level at flowering compared to vegetative and fruiting stages. In contrast, aldehydes were noted at higher percentage at vegetative stage. This study highlighted difference in content and composition of essential oil in Cytisus triflorus L'Her during growth stages. Flowering was the interesting stage for harvesting and with more specific composition in essential oil.