Influence of drying methods on the essential oil content and composition of Roman chamomile

The flowers of Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile L. All. var. flora plena) cultivated in Iran were dried by three different drying methods of sun-drying, shade-drying and oven-drying at 40 degreesC. The essential oils of every treatment were obtained by hydrodistillation of the flowers, and were analysed by GC and GC-MS. The oil content of the shade-dried flowers was the largest (1.9% w/w) compared to sun-drying (0.4% w/w) and oven-drying at 40 degreesC (0.9% w/w). Drying methods had no effect on the number of chemical components of the essential oil, as 14 components were identified in the oil of every drying method. The major components were isobutyl angelate, 2-methyl butyl angelate, propyl tiglate, isoamyl angelate and 3-methylbutyl isobutyrate. However, the drying method had a significant effect on the proportion of the various components. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.