Agronomical and phytochemical investigation of Hyssopus officinalis Bertalan Galambosi, Katerina P. Svoboda, Stanley G.Deans and Eva Hethelyi Galambosi, 8., Svoboda, K.P., Deans, S.G. & Hethelyi, E. 1993. Agronomical and phytochemical investigation of Hyssopus officinalis. Agric. Sei. Eini. 2: 293-302. (Agric. Res. Centre of Finland, South Savo Res. Sta., FIN-50600 Mikkeli, Finland, Aromatic and Medicinal Plant Group, Scott. Agric. Coll., Auchincruive, Scotland, UK and Res. Inst. Medicinal Plants, H-2011 Budakalasz, Hungary.) Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L.) obtained from various commercial sources was grown for three years (1990-1992) in Finland. Yield characteristics, flower colour, volatile oil content/composition and its antimicrobial quality were studied. For comparison, Scot- tish-grown hyssop was included in oil and quality determinations. The description of the flower colour given by the seed firms was not a reliable indicator of the true colour in many cases. Oil yield was satisfactory and oil composition was rather uniform. Only one different chemotype was identified, this was derived from a Romanian seed source. There was considerable variation in herb yield between plants from different sources. The total fresh herb yield was 0.5-3.2 kg/m : , the dry leaf yield was 67-326 g/m 2 . Seed germination was satisfactory (76-99%), offering opportunities for seed production of varieties with different characteristics. Key words; Hyssopus officinalis , yield characteristics, seed quality, volatile oil con- tent/composition, antibacterial properties Introduction Due to increasing interest in growing and using herbs in the northern parts of Europe, several re- search projects have been carried out in both Fin- land and Scotland during the last few years (Galambosi et al. 1991, Hay et al. 1988, Svoboda et al. 1990). Hyssop was one of the 40 herb species which were studied in a five year research project at Puumala, Southern Finland. This species proved to be both cold and frost tolerant with good dry matter yield and volatile oil content (Galambosi et al. 1989). The flowering tops and leaves ofhyssop are used as flavours in the food and drink industry and in various cosmetic products (Genders 1980). It is also a traditional medicinal plant (Bonar 1985, Fleischer and Fleischer 1988), an excellent plant for attracting bees (Hooper 1984) and an attractive garden ornamen- tal (Sanecki 1985). Several types, differing in flower colour, flowering time and leaf shape are available commercially; alba (white flowers), gran- diflora (large flowers), rosea (rose flowers) and rubia (red flowers) (Simon et al. 1984). The seed samples are often mixed and it is quite difficult to obtain uniform plant populations for specific re- quirements, such as decorative flower production, honey bee forage production, high volatile oil yield and uniform quantitative oil composition. The objective of this study was to test in Finland 13 different seed samples of various geographical origins for the variability of colour, growth, fresh 293 Agric. Sei. Fin!. 2 (1993) https://www.c-info.fi/en/info/?token=VtzpovRvKFmJh4HX.XMj4RWv-FG-3ipVLFXqq_w.feF3y-k9zv4tFBKob0MwmkzcGwHps1ZnwzvnWvPdIMtpd1UFK4zQSXvks5jOrVeTOhGuQVVfFDtC1fDP9Fr5ltjuI1dzjAhsKGdkxEfi3Ros8USmqWJ759t1njlcSbBkI0R7aSI_M2DiMQWoit-sGz70pdFqj-hWScoDrfnbQdY0Xc8z6sGEZ-1UH3UBtOApTpi3ExSlpPqZ8mL-O3xaismw3mV3PX64Uboyjq5sxhi8nQ0KVhJl7ID3wX8efy2OIEHobTdRLsBj1Q6QPzTAnn5_ocjDy3QGffG0DZuUoz2FgSwOrmmHLxERAu3WhwBATo659XM7xr6G99PMdC1LmA and dry matter yield and seed production. For com- parison, hyssop grown in Scotland was included in oil yield and quality determinations. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of the oil was tested against a groupof 25 bacterial species. Material and methods Growth conditions The plants were grown at South Savo Research Station, Mikkeli, Finland (grid reference 61° 44 N, 27° 18 E) during 1990-1992 and in the herb garden of the Scottish Agricultural College (55° 28 N, 4° 33 W) during 1990-1992. The meteorological data for Mikkeli are presented in Figures 1 and 2. The origin of seed samples and the colour of the plants grown in Mikkeli are given in Table I. Hyssop seeds Nos. 14-21 were obtained from Poyntzfield Nursery, Black Isle, Scotland, and were ofFrench origin. The seeds were sown in pots (5x5 cm diameter) filled with fine peat on 26 April 1990. The pots were kept in a plastic greenhouse and the seedlings transplanted to the field on 8 June. One year old plants of the varieties Nos. 2, 3 and 4 were transplanted into experimental plots from Puumala on 4 June 1990. The density of planting was four plants per m . Cultivation and fertilization The soil in Finland was a stony till, pH 6.2. The experimental plots were fertilized before planting (N 35, P 120 and K7O kg/ha) with further N (15 kg/ha) three weeks after planting. The same basic fertilizer mixture was applied at the beginning of the second year. The plants were irrigated twice during the first and once during the second growing season. In Scotland, the experimental plots were located on a sandy loam soil of pH 5.8. No artificial fertil- izers were applied. Farmyard manure was added each autumn. Nos. 19-21 were grown in a polytun- nel throughout the whole season. Harvesting and drying In Finland, plants were harvested each summer in August, during the full flowering period. From each of the varieties 10plants were cut and the following characteristics were determined: colour of flowers, plant height, fresh and dry weight, and leaf:stem ratio. In Scotland, individual, well-established 3 year old plants were collected randomly during the full flowering period. Fresh samples were dried at 35°C and the stems were separated from the leaves through a 3 mm diameter screen. Fig. 1. The monthly mean temperature during the experi- mental period Mikkeli. Fig. 2. The monthly precipitation during experimental period Mikkeli. 294 Agric. Sd. Finl. 2(1993) Table 1. Identity and origin of varieties/populations of hyssop grown in Mikkeli. No Variety/population Year of Origin of seed Flower colour acquisi- Expected/ Observed tion advertised 1 Hyssopus officinalis ’Kekviragu’ 1984 Hungaroseed, Budapest, Hungary Blue Mixed colours 2 Hyssopus officinalis, Pink hyssop 1989 Suffolk Herbs, Suffolk, England Pink Pink 3 Hyssopus officinalis - 1988 Institute de Medicine Si - Red Farmacia Tirgu Mures, Romania 4 Hyssopus officinalis, White Hyssop 1989 Suffolk Herbs, Suffolk, England White White 5 Hyssopus officinalis - 1989 Piikio, Pukkila Manor, Finland - Blue 6 Hyssopus officinalis (Azob, Holy Herb) 1989 Suffolk Herbs, Suffolk, England Blue, white, pink Blue 7 Hyssopus officinalis ssp aristatus 1989 Hortus Botanicus Bernensis, - Blue Bern, Switzerland 8 Hyssopus officinalis (from commerce) 1990 Hortus, (origin unkown) Blue Blue 9 Hyssopus officinalis (from commerce) 1990 EKA (AL-GRO), Finland Blue, violet Blue 10 Hyssopus officinalis (from commerce) 1990 Vesan Siemenliike Oy, Pink Blue (Samen Mauser), Finland 11 Hyssopus officinalis (from commerce) 1990 Maatalouskesko (Samen Mauser), Pink Blue Finland 12 Hyssopus officinalis (from commerce) 1990 Siemen Oy, (origin unkown) Blue Mixed 13 Hyssopus officinalis (from commerce) 1990 Sokos (Hammenhogs) Finland Blue Mixed Germination test Five plants from each variety were grown for seeds. The seeds were harvested at the end of the vegeta- tion period (25 September 1990, 10 September 1991, 24 September 1992). The hand cut plants were dried at room temperature (18-22°C) and the seeds were crushed either by hand, or by using an experimental harvester (Hege 125 C, Germany). The germination tests were carried out each year 3 months after harvesting, using the top paper method in 9 mm Petri dishes, at 20-23°C day and 17-19°C night temperature, with 4 x 50 seeds per variety. Distillation of oil Dried leaves and flowering tops were steam dis- tilled for 2 h using British Pharmacopoeia distilla- tion apparatus (BSI 1985). The quantity of oil ob- tained was measured and the oil was then trans- ferred to glass vials with Teflon-lined caps and stored in a refrigerator at -2 to 6°C until analysed by GC. GC analysis ofoil GC was carried out using a United Technologies Packard 439 GC connected to a Hewlett Packard Integrator 3390A. The following operating condi- tions were used: Carbowax 20M column, 25m x 0.32 mm; carrier gas N2; injection temperature 250°C; flame ionisation detector temperature 250°C; oven temperature initially 50°C, rising to 200°C at 5°C/min; sample size 0.2 1; splitter 1:100. Standard oil components for comparison were ob- tained from Roth (Karlsruhe, Germany). Antibacterial properties of volatile oils For the determination of antibacterial properties of the volatile oil from hyssop, wells were punched in pre-seeded Isosensitest agar plates and to each well was added 15 ml volatile oil (Deans and Ritchie 1987). This was allowed to diffuse into the agar prior to incubation at 25°C for 48 h, after which zones of growth inhibition were measured with vernier calipers. Three wells per plate were made and two replicate plates tested per organism. 295 Agric. Sei. Finl. 2 (1993) Table 2. Plant height and weight of hyssop varieties at different ages. (Mikkeli, 1990-1991). Variety/population Plant height (cm) Fresh weight (g/plant) 1990 1991 1990 1991 Seedling transplants: Year 1 Year 2 Year 1 Year 2 xs xs xs xs 1. Mixed hyssop 49 3.7 53 4.1 282 51 369 162 2. Pink hyssop 58 6.2 65 4.5 393 107 434 140 3. Red hyssop 42 2.7 47 2.4 128 62 286 93 4. White hyssop 63 3.9 75 4.5 310 88 541 151 5. Blue hyssop 55 4.2 59 4.9 455 69 434 119 6. Azob hyssop 62 4.7 69 5.8 486 76 693 239 7. H.o. ssp. aristatus 62 5.2 63 3.8 660 99 452 197 8. Commercial hyssop 46 3.9 54 3.8 244 45 299 164 9. Commercial hyssop 44 3.1 52 4.1 182 41 283 89 10. Commercial hyssop 48 4.6 56 7.5 213 64 219 82 11. Commercial hyssop 46 3.4 56 4.1 195 46 319 114 12. Commercial hyssop 49 9.4 60 5.5 255 76 369 164 13. Commercial hyssop 47 3.2 53 7.5 270 68 284 89 Mean; 48 59 313 386 One year old transplants Year 2 Year 3 Year 2 Year 3 2. Pink hyssop 58 6.8 66 5.8 455 223 556 195 3. Red hyssop 42 4.8 58 5.1 292 70 344 97 4. White hyssop 65 5.7 76 3.8 430 84 630 196 6. Azob hyssop 65 4.3 68 2.6 452 110 812 211 Mean; 58 67 407 586 Results and discussion Variation in colour of hyssop flowers Of the 13 seed samples grown in Mikkeli, two had no colour indication. No. 3 proved to be a red and No. 7 a blue coloured hyssop (Table 1). Six samples had the colour as advertised on the commercial packing or as the original mother plant. The colour of the flowers of five samples was dif- ferent from the advertised description: Nos 1, 10, 11, 12 and 13. Since all seeds were from commer- cial sources, the quality control clearly needs to be improved. Growth characteristics The meteorological conditions during the experi- mental years did not differ significantly from the long term average (Figs. 1-2). Frost damage was observed only in acquistion No. 7, whichresulted in lower plant weight during the second growing sea- son (Table 2). This indicates the frost tolerance of hyssop (Galambosi et al. 1989). The lower pre- cipitation during September was advantageous for seed ripening. The differences in the plant height and weight during the consecutive seasons were clear; the av- erage height of the one year old plants was 48 cm, of two year old plants 58-59 cm and of three year old plants 67 cm (Table 2). The smallest variety was No. 3 (Romania) reaching 42 and 47 cm dur- ing the first and second year respectively. This variety had a typically compact habit. The tallest varieties were consistently Nos. 4,6 and 7, reaching 62-75 cm of height. However, these plants were loose in habit and the heavy rains often caused lodging. 296 Agric. Sd. Fin!. 2(1993) Table 3. Total fresh weight yield and dry leaf yield of hyssop varieties at different ages (Mikkeli, 1990-1991). Yield Age Varieties I. Mixed 2. Pink 3. Red 4. White 6. Azob hyssop hyssop hyssop hyssop hyssop Total fresh (kg/m! ) 1 year old 1.12 1.57 0.51 1.24 1.94 2 year old 1.58 1.73 1.14 2.16 2.77 3 year old 2.23 2.22 1.37 2.52 3.24 Dry leaf (kg/m2 ) 1 year old 0.16 0.18 0.06 0.14 0.26 2 year old 0.21 0.19 0.16 0.22 0.30 3 year old 0.26 0.25 0.19 0.25 0.36 Herb yield The results of the plant weights presented in Table 2 show significant variability between the sources. The average weight ofplants grown from seeds was 313 g and 386 g during the first and second year, respectively. The transplanted one year old plants were significantly heavier during the second and third season, reaching 407 g and 586 g of fresh weight per plant, respectively. The total fresh weight yield varied between 0.5 and 3.2 kg/m depending on plant age (Table 3). The lowest yield was obtained from the variety No. 3, producing 0.5 (first year), 1.1 (second year) and 1.3 (third year) kg/nr fresh weight. The highest yields were derived from No. 6, producing 1.9,2.7 and 3.2 kg/m 2 of fresh weight throughout the three seasons. The leaf dry weight (Table 3) varied from 67 to 367 g/m2 . Consistent with plant vigour and devel- opment, the lowest yield was obtained from the variety No. 3 and the highest yield from the variety No. 6, but the differences were less pronounced than those of fresh yield. The dry matter content varied from 22-30%. The leaf: stem ratio was about 1:1, the first year plants having less, the second and third year old plants having more stems (Table 4). The marketable leaf and flower dry weight yield calculated from the dry matter content and leaf:stem ratio was 10-14% of the total harvested fresh yield. The lowest dry weight yield (10%) was measured in tall, loose, pink and white varieties, due to their high stem and twigs contents. Table 4. Dry matter content and leaf/stem ratio in hyssop varieties at different ages (Mikkeli 1990-1991). Variety/population Dry matter Leaf/stem content (%) ratio (%) 1990 1991 1990 1991 Seedling transplants: Year 1 Year 2 Year 1 Year 2 1. Mixed hyssop 24.8 23.5 58:42 57:43 2. Pink hyssop 22.6 25.0 52:48 44:56 3. Red hyssop 23.2 25.5 56:44 57:43 4. White hyssop 21.9 25.4 53:47 40:60 5. Blue hyssop 22.5 25.7 57:43 55:45 6. Azob hyssop 22.7 23.6 59:41 47:53 7. H.o. ssp. arislalus 23.3 29.8 8. Commercial hyssop 25.2 23.1 55:45 43:57 9. Commercial hyssop 23.9 25.9 55:45 43:57 10. Commercial hyssop 23.9 22.8 61:39 45:55 11. Commercial hyssop 22.7 25.0 55:45 45:55 12. Commercial hyssop 25.0 24.7 54:46 46:54 13. Commercial hyssop 21.6 24.7 62:38 46:52 Mean: 23.3 25.0 56:44 48:52 One year old transplants: Year 2 Year 3 Year 2 Year 3 2. Pink hyssop 23.3 24.7 51:49 46:54 3. Red hyssop 24.9 24.8 64:36 56:44 4. White hyssop 23.8 25.4 49:51 39:61 6. Azob hyssop 22.7 25.1 59:41 45:55 Mean: 23.7 25.0 56:44 47:53 Figures are means of two replications. Seed quality The germination tests showed that the hyssop vari- eties were consistently of good seed quality. The 297 Agric. Sd. Finl. 2 (1993) Table 5. Seed germination and thousand seed weight (TSW) of hyssop varieties (Mikkeli, 1991). Variety Germination °/o TSW (g) harvested by harvested by hand combine hand combine 1. Mixed hyssop 84 73 1.100 0.983 2. Pink hyssop 95 88 0.783 0.750 3. Red hyssop 94 59 1.000 0.983 4. White hyssop 78 74 1.000 1.016 5. Blue hyssop 97 90 1.000 0.916 6. Azob hyssop 97 81 1.050 1.016 7. ssp. aristatus 93 90 1.050 0.983 Mean: 91 79 0.997 0.949 Table 6. Seed germination of hand-harvested hyssop varieties (Mikkeli, 1990-1992). Variety Germination % 1990 1991 1992 Mean 1. Mixed hyssop 84 84 93 87 2. Pink hyssop 89 95 82 89 3. Red hyssop 99 94 70 88 4. White hyssop 80 78 70 76 5. Blue hyssop - 97 80 88 6. Azob hyssop 97 97 84 93 7. ssp. aristatus 91 93 88 91 Mean; 90 91 81 87 average germination capacity of seeds was 87% (Tables 5 and 6). The lowest results were achieved by white hyssop (76%), being a late flowering type. The seed production could be easily mechanized. There were 10-15% differences in the germination of the hand crushed and mechanically crushed seed. The differences could be eliminated by optimiza- tion of the harvest times. The average thousand seed weight of hyssop varieties was 1.0 g, ranging between 0.75 g and 1.1 g (Table 5). The pink hys- sop (No. 2) had the lowest seed weight. Quantitative variations in the volatile oil yield Volatile oil contents of leaves and flowering tops varied for 0.4 to 1.4% (Table 7). Blue varieties grown in Finland had a range of oil yield: 0.7- 1.08%. The blue coloured hyssop No. 7 had the highest oil content (1.36%). Mixed coloured vari- eties had a range of 0.94-1.2%, white 0.6-0.7%, pink and red 0.6-0.8%. There were no differences between one and two year old plants. Oil contents of Scottish-grown blue coloured plants showed values of 0.4-1.4%. There was no difference between plants grown in the open field or in the polytunnel. No clear pattern was observed in the oil content fluctuations, but this high variabil- ity within the individual plants suggests the possib- ility of improving the oil yield (0.3-1.6%) (JOULAIN and Ragault 1976, Hilal et al. 1978, Mechraz et al. 1989). The leaf oil content from samples grown both in Finland and in Scotland was above average.Khodzimatoc and Ramazanova (1975) report unusually high oil contents: about 1.6% from red, 2.2% from blue and 3.7% from white varieties. In our experimental plants, these levels of oil content were not realized, neither were there any significant differences in oil yield between various types of colour, although the relatively low oil contents of the white and pink varieties have to be noted. Maximumoil contents were found during the full flowering period, with stems containing a negli- gible amount ofoil (Kapelev 1986,Timchuk et al. 1986). The results emphasize the importance of selection and of fertilizer use for improved types in aromatic plant species (Svoboda et al. 1990). Hys- sop can be an appropriate crop for the northern areas, with very good quality and quantity of the final product. Quantitative variations in the volatile oil The volatile oil composition showed similar results for both Finnish and Scottish material, with one exception; red hyssop originating from Romania (Table 7). This oil had significantly higher amounts of germacrene-D (22-23%) and pinocarvone (26- 28%) compared with the other samples. Iso-pino- camphone, pinocamphone, (3-pinene, pinocarvone, germacrene D and 1,8-cineol were the main com- ponents of the oil and accounted for 75-85% oftotal 298 Agric. Sei. Fint. 2 (1993) 299 Table 7. Main components of hyssop oil derived from whole plants grown in Finland (F) and Scotland (S). Flower colour Variety/ Volatile oil Pino- Iso-pino- Germa- Pino- P-Pinene 1,8-Cineol population content camphone camphone crene D carvone (% v/w) (Figures are % of total oil) Blue: 5a (F) 1.00 20.3 33.3 11.0 5.5 7.1 4.3 6a (F) 1.00 9.4 42.6 11.7 8.1 3.5 7.1 6b (F) 0.83 20.9 25.6 7.9 4.0 10.1 7.2 7a (F) 1.36 19.9 35.1 17.0 10.3 2.2 1.8 8a (F) 0.73 17.3 33.5 11.1 9.3 4.3 3.1 9a (F) 1.03 11.9 38.3 11.1 7.9 4.1 4.2 10a (F) 1.08 19.4 30.2 11.0 7.7 7.2 5.0 11a (F) 1.07 14.4 36.2 12.5 9.5 3.5 3.6 14c (S) 0.40 37.5 18.0 13.1 5.1 7.1 1.2 15c (S) 0.50 36.6 17.7 13.3 4.9 7.8 1.2 16c (S) 0.50 46.0 15.6 13.1 8.0 3.7 1.4 17c (S) 1.40 46.3 15.8 11.9 8.2 4.1 1.3 18c (S) 1.40 0.7 53.8 14.2 6.1 1.5 0.7 19c (S) 1.00 0.9 52.8 11.9 6.1 1.7 0.7 20c (S) 0.50 24,0 36,8 13.8 4.0 3.8 0.9 21c (S) 0.50 24.2 37.0 14.2 4.0 3.4 1.0 Mixed: la (F) 1.15 26.0 19.0 17.7 12.0 4,2 2.7 12a (F) 1.19 11.0 34.4 15.4 13.1 2.8 3.5 13a (F) 0.94 17.2 31.4 11.6 12.8 4.0 2.8 White: 4a (F) 0.62 # 52.7 14.9 2.5 6.9 1.2 4b (F) 0.74 47.4 2.4 16.2 2.4 9.0 1.3 Pink, Red: 2a (F) 0.74 0.9 53.4 16.3 1.5 4.7 1.8 2b (F) 0.82 0.6 50.1 14.5 1.6 7.3 0.7 3a (F) 0.67 1.4 15.1 23.2 27.9 5,9 4.5 3b (F) 0.60 1.3 13.1 22.3 25.6 9.4 4.9 a = one year old plants; b = two year old plants; c = three year old plants. # = trace amounts. oil. Two major components, pinocamphone and iso-pinocamphone constituted about 50% of total oil and their representative proportions varied in a manner which could not be explained in the exist- ing experiments. Variations in plants derived from different geographical origins emphasize the im- portance of further selection studies. Our results are in agreement with earlier reports (Lawrence 1980, Steinmetz et al. 1980, Law- rence, 1984, Timchuk et al. 1986, Galambosi et al. 1989, Mechraz et al. 1989, Schulz and Ståhl 1991). Only one reference (Khodzhimatov and Ramazanova 1975) mentioned different hyssop chemotypes, with high amounts of 1,8-cineol, li- nalool, a-terpineol, a-terpinyl acetate and bomyl acetate (identified by GC analysis). It is possible that hyssop collected in the Taskent area showed intraspecific chemical differences. Pinocamphone, iso-pinocamphone, camphor and thujone are res- ponsible for the toxicity of the oil (Steinmetz et al. 1980). The experiments were conducted with rats and both the oil and individual components caused nerve and muscle damage, resulting in epilepsy. The above mentioned monoterpenes are very vola- tile and their chemical structure may change under different environmental conditions and through postharvest handling. These facts could partially explain the variability of individual oil components Table 8, Antibacterial properties of hyssop volatile oil (inhibition zone diameter in mm; diameter of well, 4 mm, included). Organism Hyssop strain number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 A 9.4 9.5 8.9 9.8 9.0 9.4 8.4 11.4 14.5 8.4 13.0 9.8 11.0 12.3 8.8 12.0 8.4 B 5.3 4.9 5.0 6.4 6.4 5.7 4.9 4.7 5.2 5,1 5.6 4.8 5.3 5.2 6.1 5.4 4.7 C 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 D 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 E 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 F 11.0 11.6 9.3 8.7 8,0 10.0 10.0 9.4 8.2 9.2 8.6 9.0 8.1 11.0 8.6 9.4 7.0 G 5.6 6.1 5.6 5,4 5.5 5.8 6.1 5.3 5.9 4.0 5.4 6.4 6.1 5.8 4.0 4.0 5.2 H 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 1 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 10.2 10.6 10.0 12.6 14.5 10.0 8.9 10,6 11.2 7.8 J 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 K 5.8 4.0 4.0 5.6 4.8 4.9 4,0 5,2 5.5 4.0 7.5 4.0 5.6 5.8 6.2 6.0 4.0 L 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 M 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 N 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 O 7.7 4.0 4.0 7.4 4.0 7.5 7.0 7.5 9.0 4.0 8.0 8.0 7.7 8.6 7.0 8.4 4.0 P 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Q 4.0 4.0 5.3 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 6.1 4.0 4.0 4.0 5.7 4.0 4.0 R 4,0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4,0 4.0 4.0 4.0 5.6 6.2 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 6.9 4.0 6.0 S 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 T 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 U 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4,0 4.0 4,0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 V 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 9.8 4.0 4.0 6.2 4.0 7.3 4.0 4.0 8.6 4.0 W 8.4 6.7 8.0 9.2 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 8.8 7.8 8.0 9.2 4.0 4.0 9.3 8.0 4.0 X 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 10.2 4.0 6.7 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Y 8.9 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4,0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 A Acinelobacler calcoacelica; B Aeromonas hydrophila; C Alcaligenesfaecalis; D Bacillus subtilis;E Beneckea nalriegens; F Brevibacterium linens; G Brocolhrix thermosphacla; H Citrobacter freundii; I Clostridium sporogenes; J Enterobacter aerogenes; K Enterococcus faecalis; L Erwinia carotovora: M Escherichia coli; N Flavobaclerium suaveolens; O Klebsiella pneumoniae; P Lactobacillus plantarum; Q Leuconostoc cremoris; R Micrococcus luteus;S Moraxella sp.; T Proteus vulgaris; U Pseudomonas aeruginosa; V Salmonellapullorum; W Serralia marcescens; X Staphylococcusaureus; Y Yersinia enlero- colitica. described by different authors. Incorrect identifica- tionof compounds, using GC methods and standard comparison, is also possible. Antibacterial characteristics of volatile oils There was a varying response to the volatile oil in terms of antibacterial properties (Table 8). There were clearly some antibacterial constituent(s) pre- sent since a number of bacteria showed noticeable growth inhibition, including Acinetobacler cal- coacetica (spoilage organism), Aeromonas hydro- phila (an environmental organism found in water courses which can also be a pathogen of fish), Breviobacterium linens (spoilage organism found in soft cheese), Brocothrix thermosphacla (spoil- age organism found in pork sausage), Klebsiella pneumoniae (human pathogen) and Serratia marcescens (secondary opportunist pathogen). There is no obvious explanation as to why hyssop plants of different geographical origin gave strong inhibition against some bacteria but not others, and equally, why certain bacteria were only susceptible 300 Agric. Sei. Finl. 2 (1993) to a number of hyssop volatile oils: the chemical analysis of the oils did not reveal wide variation in the components present. Acknowledgements. SAC Auchincruive receives funding from the Scottich Office ofAgriculture andFisheries Depart- ment. The authors thank the staff of the research station and Elizabeth Eaglesham for excellent technical assistance. References Bonar, A, 1985. Herbs. Complete guide of cultivation and use. 144 p. Hamlyn. London. BSI 1985. British standard methods of test for species and condiments. Determination of volatile oil content. BS 4585 Part 15. ISO 6571-1984. Deans, S. G. & Ritchie, G. A. 1987. Antibacterial properties of plant essential oils. Int. J. Food Microbiology 5: 165- 180. Fleischer, A. & Fleischer, Z. 1988. Identification of biblical hyssop and origin of the traditional use of oregano group herbs in the Mediterranean region. Econ. Botany 42: 232-241. Galambosi, 8., Holm, Y. & Sz-Galambosi, ZS. 1989. Yield and volatile oil of four perennial herbs grown in Finland. Abstracts of the 20th international symposium on essen- tial oils, Wurzburg, Germany. —, Kaukovirta, E. & Sz-Galambosi, ZS. 1991. Cultivation of spices and medicinal herbs. University of Helsinki, Department of Horticulture, Pubi. No. 18. 104 p, Hel- sinki. Genders, S. 1980. Growing herbs. 168 p. Hodder and Stoughton. Hay, R. K. M., Svoboda, K. P. & Barr, D. 1988. Physiolo- gical problems in the development of essential oil crops. Crop Research 28: 35-45. Hilal, S. H., El-Alfy, T. S. & Elsherei, M. M. 1978. Investigation of the volatile oil of Hyssopus officinalis L. Egypt. J. Pharm. Sci. 19: 177-184. Hooper, M. 1984. Herbs and medicinal plants. 125 p. King- fisher, London. Joulain, D. & Raoault, M. 1976. Some new constituents of the essential oil of Hyssopus officinalis. Riv. Ital. Es- senze, Profumi, Piante Off., Aromi, Saponi, Cosmet, Aerosol 58: 129131. Kapelev, I, G. 1986. Introduction of hyssop. Maslichenye Kultury 1:37-38. Khodzhimatov, K. & Ramazanova, N. 1975. Certain bio- logical characteristics and changes in the content and composition of the essential oils of Hyssopus officinalis grown in Taskent. Rastit. Resur. 11: 238-242. Lawrence, B. 1980. Progress in essential oils. PerfumFlavor 5,6: 27-32. 1984. Progress in essential oils. Perfum Flavor 9: 35-45. Mechraz, R., Pesevski, N.,Apostolova,8., Mermerska, E., Filipov, Z. & Vlkanova, G. 1989. A study on experi- mentally created mutant of Hyssopus officinalis. Plant Science 26: 47-49. Sanecki, K. I. 1985. The book of herbs. 127 p. Quintet, London. Schultz, G. & Ståhl-Biskup, E. 1991. Essential oils and glycosidic bound volatiles from leaves, stems, flowers and roots of Hyssopus officinalis L. Flav. Frag. i. 6: 69-73. Simon, J.E., Chadwick, A. F. & Craker, L. E. 1984. Herbs. An indexed bibliography 1971-1980. Archon Books, p. 50-51. Steinmetz, M. D., Tognetti,P., Mourgue, M., Jouglard, J. & Millet, Y. 1980. Sur la toxicite de certaines huiles essentielles du commerce: essence d’hyopse et essence de sauge. Plant Med Phytother 14, 1: 34-35. Svoboda, K. P., Hay, R. K. M. & Waterman, P. G. 1990. The growth and volatile oil yield of summer savory (Sotureja hortensis ) in a cool wet environment. J. Hort. Sci. 65: 659-665. Timcuk, K. C., Celovskaja, L. N. & Popov, J. C. 1986. Hyssopus officinalis - a promising volatile oil crop. Izv. Akad. Nauk Moldavskoj SSR, Biolog, i Chimic. Nauk4: 53-57. Manuscript received September 1993 Bertalan Galambosi Agricultural Research Centre of Finland South Savo Research Station FIN-50600 Mikkeli, Finland Katerina P. Svoboda Stanley G. Deans Aromatic and Medicinal Plant Group Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive AYR KA6 SHW Scotland, United Kingdom Eva Hethelyi Research Institute for Medicinal Plants H-2011 Budakalasz, Hungary 301 Agric. Sei. Fin!. 2 (1993) 1 SELOSTUS Eri iisoppilajikkeiden agronomiset ja fytokemialliset ominaisuudet Bertalan Galambosi, Katerina P. Svoboda, Stanley G. Deans ja Eva Hethelyi Maatalouden tutkimuskeskus, Scottish Agricultural College jaResearch Institute for Medicinal Plants Mikkelissä tutkittiin 13 eri alkuperää olevaa iisoppilajia vuosina 1990-1992. Siemeniä saatiin Unkarista, Romaniasta, Sveitsistä, Englannista (3) ja Suomesta (7). lisoppilajeista tutkittiin yksi-, kaksi- ja kolmivuotisten kasvien kukkien väriä, tuore- ja kuivasatoa sekä siementuotantoa. Kasvien korkeus ja satoisuus vaihteli iästä ja lajikkeesta riippuen. Matalin (42-47 cm) jaheikkosatoisin (0,5 kg/m 2) oli romanialainen punavärinen lajike. Korkeimpia ja satoisimpia olivat Englannista saadut valkoinen ja vaaleanpunainen lajike sekä sveitsiläinen alalaji aristatus. Niiden korkeus täyskukin- nossa oli 65-75 cm ja tuoresato 3,0 - 3,2 kg/m 2 . Tuoresadon kuiva-ainepitoisuus oli 22-26 % ja lehti-varsi suhde 1:1.Tuo- resadosta saatiin 10-14 % kuivaa myyntikelpoista lehtisatoa. Kaikki lajikkeet tuottivat hyvälaatuista siementä, jasiementen itävyys oli kolmen vuoden keskiarvona 87 %. Edellä mainituista ja Skotlannissa kolmena vuonna kas- vatetuista ranskalaisista lajikkeista selvitettiin myös haihtu- van öljyn määrä, koostumus ja antibakteerinen vaikutus. Suomalainen ja skotlantilainen iisoppiöljy olivat hyvälaatui- sia. Haihtuvan öljyn määrä vaihteli 0,4-1,4 % kuiva-ainesa- dosta. Skotlannissa lajikkeiden välillä oli melko suurta vaih- telua. Suomessa siniset ja sekaväriset iisopit sisälsivät öljyä 0,7-1,3 %ja punaiset ja valkoiset 0,6-0,8 %. lisoppiöljyn vaikutukset 25 bakteeria vastaan olivat vaih- televia ja lisätutkimuksia tarvitaan antibakteeristen vaikutus- ten selvittämiseksi. lisoppi osoittautui kokeissa talvenkestä- väksi kasviksi, joka monivuotisenakin tuottaa hyvälaatuista öljyä Skotlannissa ja Suomessa. 302 Agric. Sd. Fint. 2 (1993)