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Abstract
Rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L' Herit. ex Ait.) is an industrial aromatic plant of family Geraniaceae. Fresh biomass of plant gives essential oil on hydrodistillation which finds wide application in perfume, flavor, cosmetics, and aromatherapy. To develop a method for storage of rose-scented geranium biomass prior distillation an experiment was conducted in hill conditions of Uttarakhand. Different types of bags, viz. polythene bag, jute bag, and fertilizer bag were used for storage of freshly harvested geranium biomass. It was noted that geranium biomass could be stored in polythene bags up to 48 h without losing the essential oil. Essential oils obtained from fresh and polythene bag stored biomass were analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. It was observed that esters (formate, acetate, butyrate, and tiglate of citronellol and geraniol), neral, and 10-epi-γ-eudesmol improve, while ketones (menthone and isomenthone) and alcohols (linalool, nerol, and geraniol) decrease on post harvest storage in polythene bag. It was also noted that citronellol to geraniol (C/G) ratio improve on storage in polythene bags. This method could increase the production of geranium oil by preventing the loss of oil due to transportation and/or delay in distillation.