# Sustainable Agronomical Practices Affect Essential Oil Composition of Tanacetum balsamita L

## TL;DR

This study shows how sustainable farming methods affect the essential oil composition of Tanacetum balsamita L., a plant known for its medicinal properties.

## Contribution

The study identifies treatment effects and seasonal interactions on essential oil compounds in Tanacetum balsamita L.

## Key findings

- Tanacetum balsamita L. cultivated in Italy belongs to the 'camphor' chemotype with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Compost and bioinoculants significantly influenced the levels of compounds like camphor, borneol, and terpinen-4-ol.
- Seasonal variation and treatment interactions highlight the need for long-term studies on essential oil composition.

## Abstract

This study evaluated the influence of compost and bioinoculants (mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting bacteria) on the yield and composition of essential oil extracted from Tanacetum balsamita L. over two growing seasons. The plants were cultivated under four treatments: compost, bioinoculants, a combination (bioinoculants + compost), and a control. At each harvest, essential oil was extracted from fresh leaves via stem-flow distillation and analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with single quadrupole mass spectrometry. Twenty to twenty-four compounds were identified. Based on the dominant terpene derivative, the results indicated that Tanacetum balsamita L. cultivated in Italy belongs to “camphor” chemotype, a pharmacologically active compound known for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. Moreover, three compounds, α-, β-phellandrene and myrtenol, were identified as typical of Tanacetum balsamita L. cultivated in Italy. Treatment effects were significant for some compounds (camphor, borneol, terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, dehydro sabinene ketone, and 3-thujanol), and the interaction between treatment and year was significant for a few compounds (borneol, terpinen-4-ol, dehydro sabinene ketone, 1,8-cineol, and 3-thujanol). These results emphasize the need to account for seasonal variation and underline the necessity of a deeper understanding of how experimental factors interact with them, especially in long-term essential oil studies.