Changes in content and chemical composition of Tagetes minuta oil at various harvest times

The essential oil content and chemical composition of Tagetesminuta L. was determined at different harvesting times of budding, full flowering and fruit set stages. The oil was obtained by hydrodistillation of all samples, and was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The oil content of samples which were harvested at budding, full flowering and fruit set stages were 1.55%, 1.44% and 1.0% (w/w) on a dryweight basis, respectively. Nineteen, 20 and 19 compounds have been identified in the oils of budding, full flowering and fruit set stages of T. minuta, respectively. The major compounds were limonene, dihydrotagetone, (Z)-tagetone, (E)-ocimenone and alpha-terpineol. The results showed that harvest times had a major effect on the constituents of the oil of T minuta.