The effect of mechanical wounding on the composition of essential oil from Ocimum minimum L. leaves

The effect of mechanical damage on the composition of the essential oil obtained from eugenol-rich Ocimum minimum leaves was determined over 48 hours. Changes in the levels of five oil-constituents were detected in the first post-wounding day but only one of those components (camphor) exhibited the same behaviour the day after. The levels of eugenol (-4.8%) and linalool (+2.5%) were affected the most by the wounding process. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed the post-wounding response to be independent from the pre-wounding levels of the particular compounds expressing the response and from the overall leaf oil-composition.