Essential Oil of<i>Tagetes minuta</i>from Rwanda and France: Chemical Composition According to Harvesting Location, Growth Stage and Part of Plant Extracted

Abstract

ABSTRACT The chemical composition of the essential oils produced from Tagetes minuta which was harvested in Rwanda and France at various locations and growth stages, and isolated from different plant parts (flowers, leaves, seeds), was studied. The samples analyzed fell into four categories. Generally, (Z)-β-ocimene predominated in oil from flowers, and dihydrotagetone predominated in that from leaves. Tagetones and tagetenones occurred together or separately in large or small amounts. French oils differened from other oils by its preponderance of (Z)-tagetenone.