Schriften zu Genetischen Ressourcen - Genres

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Sclareol ex
Salvia sclarea
H. SCHULZ
For the analytical evaluation of genetic resources, several methods are in use. Volatile
components are usually analysed by GC methods (GC-SPME, GC-O, GC-MS,
etc.) or by electronic noses, whereas non-volatile components are determined by
HPLC methods. But also spectroscopic methods are applied for the rapid and nondestructive
measurement of plant constituents, especially in those cases if only small
sample amounts are available and if rapid and non-destructive analyses have to be
performed. Recently, several applications were described using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
for the prediction of several quality parameters in plants without performing
any clean-up procedures. Applying these methods, valuable components such as
carnosic acid and various essential oil substances can be simultaneously determined.
Furthermore PCR-based methods are used for DNA-analysis or the detection of specific
DNA sequences. But the pre-condition to apply these methods is to exactly know
the coding sequences which are responsible for the expression of distinctive parameters.
Figure 3 demonstrates the essential oil composition of various chamomile
types. For pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, essential oils with the highest abisabolol
content and a very low content of bisabolol oxides are preferred. As can be
seen in the figure, the cultivar ‘Manzana’ with a high a-bisabolol and chamazulene
content shows the best match to this specification.
Future activities should focus on the application of efficient analytical tools to screen
the genetic resources with regard to valuable substances. As a result of these studies,
when the complete data have been evaluated, new interesting compounds will
be discovered or suitable plants for cultivation will be found. This will hopefully be the
basis for the development of new cultivars with “added values”.
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CHO
Ambrein Dihydro-?-jonone
Fig. 2: Formation of ambra fragrance materials from sclareol
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