Effects of mechanical wounding on essential oil composition and emission of volatiles from Minthostachys mollis.

摘要: Plant tissues may show chemical changes following damage. This possibility was analyzed for Minthostachys mollis, a Lamiaceae native to Central Argentina with medicinal and aromatic uses in the region. Effects of mechanical damage on its two dominant monoterpenes, pulegone menthone, were by perforating M. mollis leaves then assessing essential oil composition at 24, 48, 120 hr; emission volatiles also measured 24 48 hr after wounding. Mechanical resulted an increase menthone concentration during first hr. These did not occur adjacent undamaged leaves, suggesting lack systemic response. Postwounding released from damaged detected, most noticeably showing pulegone. Inducible plants might be common widespread, affecting specific compounds which commercial exploitation is based.