Mahmoud, SS
The Lavender Industry
 Over 2000,000 L of lavender essential oil is produced
worldwide annually
Major producers: France, England and China
 Lavender oil is used in cosmetics, personal hygiene
products, and alternative medicines
 Over 800 small scale farms exist in North America
 North American farms focus on:
- Agri-tourism
- Value added products
- Specialty oils
Mahmoud, SS
Lavender essential oil is extracted by
steam distillation.
Analytical scale steam distillation
UBC Okanagan, Kelowna, BC
Commercial scale steam distillation
Provence, France
Mahmoud, SS
Chemical Composition of Essential Oils
Typical plant oils (for example
sunflower oil) are made of
Triacylglycerol (TAG)
Mahmoud, SS
Essential oil Production in Lavenders
 Lavender EO is produced in oil glands or
glandular trichomes.
 Oil Glands make up < 0.1% of tissue (> 1/ 1000)
 The gland cells represent an enriched source for
expressed EO-related genes
The cells can be mechanically isolated,
and used for gene discovery
Secretory Cells
Essential oil
Microscopy was done by
Michael Wise PARC, Summerland
Mahmoud, SS
Nature and functions of essential oils
Essential oils constituents are:
- Small biochemical molecules
- Scented
- Present in oil glands
Functions in Nature:
- To repel pests, pathogens, herbivore
- To attract pollinator and beneficial insects
- To reduce the growth of competing plants
Mahmoud, SS
Overview of my Research Program
1. Define genes that control essential oil formation in lavenders
- What genes / enzymes form essential oil constituents?
- What genes control oil gland formation?
- We have built the worlds largest genomics resource for lavenders
2. Improve essential oil quality and yield in lavender
- Use of tissue culture
3. Enhance the lavender industry in the BC?
- Authenticate BC lavender oils
- Find additional applications for the oil
Mahmoud, SS
1. We have developed interesting lavender plants
Methods:
-Induce in vitro organogenesis
-Treat the shoots with plant hormones to induce rooting
-Transfer new plants to soil
-Extract and analyse EO
Mahmoud, SS
Results of tissue culture work:
- Over 600 plants were regenerated
- Essential oil from these plants has been analyzed
-Two lines of unique plants have been generated
Mahmoud, SS
Line 1 was derived from “L.
angustifolia” parent.
- EO profile
- Flower morphology
- Cold intolerant
β-pinene
Lady
Lady clone
(L. angustifolia) (L. angustifolia)
n.d.
2.16+/-0.01
myrcene
10.77+/- 0.05
6.43+/- 0.01
limonene
3.90+/- 0.03
1.32 +/- 0.01
1,8-cineole
5.68+/- 0.03
2.73 +/- 0.03
Z-β ocimene
7.73+/- 0.03
11.37+/- 0.05
E-β ocimene
7.24+/- 0.03
4.62+/- 0.00
camphor
n.d.
n.d.
linalool
30.35+/- 0.40
47.8+/-0.26
linalyl acetate
7.37+/- 0.19
n.d.
lavandulyl
acetate
7.70+/- 0.14
n.d.
lavandulol
2.51+/- 0.14
1.78+/-0.05
borneol
1.69+/- 0.09
1.58+/-0.00
Compound
Mahmoud, SS
Study: To determine whether lavender essential oil can
control aphids and spider mites effectively
Rationale: Certain plant essential oil can repel insects and other pests:
Ticks: Rose, eucalyptus, European pennyroyal, lavender
Mosquitoes: lemon balm (citronella), thyme, lavender
Black flies: lavender, pennyroyal, cedar, lemon balm
Head Lice: Tea tree, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus
Fleas: Orange oil
Mahmoud, SS
Insects repellent activity of lavender oils
1. Some lavender oils effectively repel the housefly
2. Can lavender oils be used as repellents in organic farming?
- Activity against aphids
- Activity against spider mite
Mahmoud, SS
Application of lavender oil to plants:
Identify a suitable carrier to dilute the oil
Determine non-toxic concentration
Example of an injured leaf
48 hours post treatment
Prepare lavender oil formulations
Treat plants infested with aphids
or spider mites
Assess the results by counting
live and dead insects
0.5% LEO; 48 hours post
Treatment (in 5% carrier)
Bean leaf assay
(for spider mite control)
Mahmoud, SS
Bell pepper assay
(for control of aphids)
Dead aphids (red)24 hours post treatment
Bean leaf infested
with spider mite
Results I:
Mahmoud, SS
Spider mite assay:
Was used to test activity of Lavender oil against spider mites
Method:
Mite-infested bean leaf segments were treated
with 0.1 – 0.5% lavender oil
After 24 hours mites were counted
Results:
Lavender oil did not repel or kill spider mites
Mahmoud, SS
Results II:
Aphid repellent assay:
Tested the ability of lavender oil to deter/kill aphids
Method:
Aphid-infested bell pepper plants were sprayed with Ess. Oil
solution
After 48 hours dead aphids were counted
Results:
0.2 and 0.5 % lavender oil can kill 85% an 99% of aphids, respectively,
after 24 hours of treatment