VARIATION OF ESSENTIAL OIL COMPONENTS AND TOTAL PHENOLICS AMONG SPEARMINT CLONAL LINES

Clonal lines of spearmint started from seed and developed by tissue culture on MS media demonstrated considerable differences in essential oil levels and phenolic contents. Phenolic contents of the 19 clonal lines evaluated (grown in peat, perlite, and vermiculite media mixture in a glasshouse) ranged from 6.82 to 52.63 mg/g fresh weight. The level of specific essential oil constituents also varied among the clones. Within the tested clonal lines, two had both higher phenolic concentration and biomass production and one of these clones also had a relatively high level of carvone. Production of spearmint clones that generate rapid growth and relatively high levels of phenolics and essential oil could provide a source of enhanced flavoring and antioxidant agents for the commercial food industry.