VOLATILE COMPONENTS AND ODOR INTENSITY OF 4 PHENOTYPES OF HYSSOP (HYSSOPUS-OFFICINALIS L)

The volatile compounds of the four phenotypes of hyssop, Hyssopus officinalis L., differentiated by the color of the corolla, were investigated by Soxhlet extraction using pentane/diethyl ether and by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. Pinocamphone, isopinocamphone, and pinocarvone were the main compounds among the 43 compounds observed, of which 33 were identified. Distinctly different percentage compositions of the volatiles were revealed. The phenotypes could be distinguished from another on the basis of the relative proportions of these three ketones despite notable annual variation during the three consecutive years of cultivation. The supercritical extract (10 MPa/40-degrees-C) contained a lower amount of monoterpene hydrocarbons and a higher amount of oxygenated hydrocarbons than the solvent extract. The intensity of odor of the phenotypes and their respective CO2 extracts was evaluated by sensory methods. The blue-flowered phenotype was assessed to be more intense in odor than the others.