Abstract

The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the vegetative growth of Mentha piperita L. cultivated under different water availability, as well its influence in content, chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant activity of its essential oil. Plants were propagated by mother plants microcutting and scions were transplanted to 5 L pots with soil and cattle manure. Afterward, were kept at field capacity for 30 days and under treatment for 40 days. It was treated with different levels of water deficit treatments: (T1): 100 of field capacity (FC); (T2): 80 of FC; (T3): 60 of FC; (T4) 40 of FC with 5 blocks. Vegetative growth was evaluated by dry matter contents of all part of plants and by root/aerial rate. The essential oil of the leaves was extracted by hydrodistillation, analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS and in vitro antioxidant potential was evaluated. A significant decrease in the dry matter of leaves and stems accompanied with a decrease in the roots dry matter was observed with an increase in the water stress. Quantitative chemical differences were observed in the chemical composition of the essential oil, according water availability. Total antioxidant activity showed a gradual increase as water stress progressed.

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