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ABSTRACT
Different cytokinins (BAP, DPU, TDZ and 4-PU-30) were tested during in vitro propagation of peppermint plantlets to determine their ability to influence the yield and composition of essential oil. The essential oil production of plants propagated in vitro with BAP was significantly supressed as compared to control plants. Phenylurea cytokinins DPU, TDZ and 4-PU-30 didn't influence the essential oil amount. It was found that cytokinins from both, purine and phenylurea types, decreased production of menthol. However, this decreasing was not significantly. BAP, DPU and 4-PU-30 also insignificantly decreased menthon content. Only TDZ increased menthon content with 7,90%. As is wellknown a high pulegon amount as well as a high menthofuran amount in essential oil deteriorates the peppermint essential oil quality. All tested cytokinins increased pulegon content, but the highest pulegon amount was found after DPU and BAP treatment. On the other hand the elevation of menthofuran quality was established. Of the four tested cytokinins only 4-PU-30 increased menthofuran content in an unimportant extent. Our data showed that the essential oil composition of control plants was very similar to the essential oil composition extracted from in vitro propagated peppermint plants treated with 4-PU-30 cytokinin. Furthermore, the highest proliferation of mint explants grown in vitro has been induced by the same cytokinin.