Planta Med 2023; 89(14): 1359-1360
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1774065
Abstracts
Tuesday 4th July 2023 | Poster Session II
Phytochemistry II - Antimicrobials; Cosmetics; Essential oils; Nutraceuticals; Biotechnology

Optimisation of Helichrysum italicum distillation process by studying the essential oil’s chemical composition using headspace-GC-MS

Alexandros Nakas
1   Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Thessaloniki, Greece
2   Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Natural Products Research Centre of Excellence (NatPro-AUTh), Thessaloniki, Greece
,
Georgia Giannarelli
1   Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Thessaloniki, Greece
,
Konstantinos Kontogiannopoulos
1   Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Thessaloniki, Greece
2   Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Natural Products Research Centre of Excellence (NatPro-AUTh), Thessaloniki, Greece
,
Artemis Tsiaprazi-Stamou
3   Vessel Essential Oils, Neo Rysio, Greece
,
Vasilios Varsamis
3   Vessel Essential Oils, Neo Rysio, Greece
,
Andreana Assimopoulou
1   Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Thessaloniki, Greece
2   Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Natural Products Research Centre of Excellence (NatPro-AUTh), Thessaloniki, Greece
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Helichrysum italicum is a perennial subshrub of the Asteraceae family (Compositae), found in dry, sandy and stony areas of the Mediterranean region. Helichrysum italicum is known for its anti-inflammatory, anti- allergic and antimicrobial activity. Due to its characteristic scent, its essential oil (EO) – also known as immortelle – is very popular in the cosmetic and perfume industry [1] [2]. The aim of the present study was to discover the appropriate pilot scale distillation conditions that optimise the yield and pleasant fragrance of the EO of Helichrysum italicum cultivated in northern Greece.

Steam distillation was conducted at the industrial distillery “Vessel Essential Oils”. To optimise the yield and the relative abundance of neryl acetate and γ-curcumene, which are the two main constituents responsible for the distinctive aroma of H. italicum. A face-centred composite experimental design was implemented, assessing the process parameters of steam distillation: time, temperature and pressure. The EOs’ composition was determined by headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (headspace-GC-MS). Prior to the final analyses, pre-treatment, sampling, chromatography and MS conditions were optimised.

With the applied GC-MS method, more than 60 volatile compounds were identified in the EOs of H. italicum and their relative percentages were recorded and compared. In all cases, α-pinene was the most prominent component, displaying a great variance among samples with different distillation conditions. The desired space was determined by applying a three-dimensional response surface analysis of the independent and dependent variables, selecting as optimisation criteria the EOs’ yield, along with the relative abundance of neryl acetate and γ-curcumene.

Funding This research has been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE (project code: T1EDK-04174).



Publication History

Article published online:
16 November 2023

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