Evaluation of some lavender genotypes with high ornamental potential for essential oil properties and antimicrobial activities.

Lavender, a member of the Lamiaceae family, is an essential plant worldwide with high medicinal aromatic value and ornamental properties. In this study, 75 lavender genotypes belonging to Lavandula angustifolia Miller and Lavandula hybrida L. species, which were selected from several segregating populations and had high agronomic features as ornamental and medicinal aromatic plants, were evaluated in terms of essential oil properties. The essential oil ratios varied between 1.08% and 7.00%. The essential oil yield of lavender genotypes varied between 0.6 and 9.0 liter/decare. The highest components were determined as linalool and linalyl acetate. Lavender genotypes were also evaluated for their antimicrobial activities, and the inhibition zone diameter of Escherichia coli, a Gram (-) bacterium, varied between 10 and 44 mm. While the zone diameter for Staphylococcus aureus was in the range of 27–44 mm, the zone diameter value for Candida albicans was found to be in the range of 37–42 mm. This study indicated that segregating populations had great potential for improving lavender genotypes with higher oil ratios and antimicrobial activity. Genotypes that could be cultivar candidates were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]