Phytochemical Variations in Lemon Verbena (Lippia citriodora H.B.K.) Plantlets Affected by Propagation Methods and Soil Type

Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora H. B. K.) is an aromatic and medicinal plant of family Verbenaceae، which cultivated in North region of Iran. Evaluation of phytochemical characters in Lippia citriodora H. B. K. plantlets affected by propagation methods (micro-propagation and stem cutting) cultivated in different soil type (peat moss and mixture soil). This study was done on the base of factorial experiment in randomized complete block design with three replications and four treatments. The treatments were propagation methods (micro-propagation and stem cutting) and soil type (peat moss and mixture soil). The volatile oil was extracted by hydro-distillation using clevenger-type apparatus and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The results indicated that the interaction effects of different soils and plantlets types had significant effect (p<0. 05) on all studied parameters. The highest content of essential oil (0. 79%)، geranial (53. 52%)، neral (31. 82%)، limonene (11. 29%)، leaf dry weight (1. 43 g) and SPAD value (20. 85) were observed in treatment of MPP (micro-propagation plantlets cultivated in peat moss) and the lowest of that was obtained in treatment of SCM (stem cutting plantlets cultivated in mixture soil). The peat moss was the best bed in respect of phytochemicals and morpho-physiological traits in both types of in vitro and stem cutting propagation. The highest essential oil content was observed in treatment of micro-propagation cultivated in peat moss.