Probing the scent code: comparative metabolite profiling of essential oils in two Lavandula species across phenological stages
Keywords:
Aromatic plant, Lamiaceae, Lavender, Linalool, Phenology, Vegetative stageAbstract
The genus Lavandula (Lamiaceae) comprises aromatic plants widely cultivated for their essential oils, which are valued for their applications in perfumery, cosmetics, and herbal medicine. This study presents a comparative metabolomic analysis of essential oils from Lavandula angustifolia Mill. and Lavandula × intermedia Emeric ex Loisel. at two phenological stages—vegetative and flowering—to decode their scent profiles and underlying chemical divergence. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed significant qualitative and quantitative differences in oil yield and composition between species and developmental stages. L. angustifolia exhibited a floral aroma chemotype dominated by linalool (40.7–50.2%) and linalyl acetate, particularly during flowering, whereas L. × intermedia displayed a sharper, medicinal profile characterized by 1,8-cineole (up to 52.6%) and borneol, especially in the vegetative phase. Multivariate analyses (hierarchical clustering and PCA) confirmed clear chemotypic segregation based on species and developmental stages, identifying distinct metabolic signatures: a linalool-rich chemotype in L. angustifolia and a 1,8-cineole/borneol-rich chemotype in L. × intermedia. Oxygenated monoterpenes were the dominant compound class in all samples, with the highest abundance in flowering L. angustifolia (91.7%). Developmental transitions notably influenced metabolite profiles, indicating transcriptional regulation of terpene biosynthesis. These findings provide insights into species-specific secondary metabolism and support targeted cultivation strategies for perfumery, cosmetics, and medicinal applications based on genotype × environment × development interactions.
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