DIGITAL, NECESARIO PARA CADA UNA DE LAS SALAS REGIONALES EN GUADALAJARA, XALAPA,

State research of medicinal plants in the former Czechoslovakia was a dominant task mostly of the institutions situated in Slovakia. From the beginning of complex research, Slovakofarma Hlohovec was a co-ordinator. Ing. Ivan Varga, present director for science and research of Slovakofarma, was the responsible coordinator of these activities in the years 1980–1997.

Chamomile research started in 1976 at the Department of Experimental Botany and Genetics of the Faculty of Science of P. J. S˘afárik University in Ko˘sice (FS PJSU) by a partial task force on the “research of chamomile cultivation in soils with high salt content.” The goal of the research was to find the most suitable complex chamomile farming technology aimed at the obtaining the maximum crop of high-quality drug [5].

TABLE 5.6.2

Economy of Model Firm of Agricultural Company ROZKVET Nová L’ubov˘na at the Complex Exploitation of Chamomile

Euro (€) Year

Overall Takings

Overall

Expenses Area [[[[ha]]]] Profit

Takings per 1 ha Expenses per 1 ha Profit per 1 ha 1983 4,150 2,312 5 1,538 830 522 308 1984 13,250 8,950 13 4,300 1,019 688 331 1985 11,478 8,626 15 2,852 765 575 190 1986 32,673 23,323 22 9,350 1,485 1,060 425 1987 33,425 25,600 30 7,826 1,114 853 261 1988 36,250 24,350 31 11,900 1,169 785 384 1989 55,200 18,550 43 36,650 1,284 431 852 1990 51,625 25,750 60 25,875 860 429 431 1991 42,500 34,750 82 7,750 518 424 95 1992 59,325 47,200 94 12,125 631 502 129

The research continued from 1980 to 1990 and was expanded by another research workplace: Agricultural Farm in Nová L’ubovn˘a. It was aimed at the solution of problems of large-scale cultivation of this medicinal plant, harvest, the development of a wide-space chamomile harvester, postharvest arrangement by presorting of plant biomass, and also the sorting and stalk removing of the dry drug. It also built up a shop for scientific and technological development and piece production of machines for harvest, postharvest arrangement, and technological processing of chamomile.

5.6.2.2 Breeding and Seed Growing

Simultaneously with cultivation research, the research collectives dealt with breeding and preparing the material for registration for a variety tests.

In the course of 20 years the collective of breeders of the Department of Experimental Botany and Genetics of FS PJSU in Kos˘ice, Agricultural Farm Rozkvet, and the firm Vilora bred up to four varieties of chamomile. Breeding work consisted principally of breeding of indigenous Spanish chemotypes with local varieties and was aimed at maintenance of chamazulene content on the original level, but reaching high content of α-bisabolol to the detriment of α-bisaboloxide A and B. This was reached in the period evaluated. Prospective work in this field is aimed at coumarine and flavonoid compounds [11].

In order to maintain or improve the qualitative characters of chamomile essential oil, mainte- nance breeding and seed growing on the principles of production process are carried out [12].

5.6.2.2.1 Production Process Scheme

5.6.2.2.2 Methods

Chamomile is grown on seed plots with a 5-acre area. Seed plots are founded by sowing the seeds of plants in which essential oil contents and composition fulfills the standards of the drug quality. With this objective individual plants are analyzed by thin-layer chromatography, essential oil composition is studied, and plants with detectable amounts of α-bisaboloxides A and B are elim- inated. The propagation areas are founded from the seeds produced on seed plots.

Seed plot: maintenance breeding

Area 5 acres: founded by the sowing of seeds from plants

with verified essential oil content and composition

Analyses of essential oil content and composition for individual plants (the number of plants dependent on needs of seeds for sowing) by thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography

Area of propagation: production of seeds for sowing elite, original, trade seed

Chamomile anthodia disintegrate during the manipulation after harvest and drying. The mass is sieved; receptacles, ligulate florets and disc florets, dust, and flower and seed fragments are removed. Sorted seeds are dispatched packaged.

5.6.2.3 Varieties

At the present four varieties of chamomile are permitted in Slovakia.

Bona (National Variety Book C˘SFR 1495/1984)

Reproduction concerned the rise of content in (–)-α-bisabolol essential oil at the expense of bisaboloxides, keeping a high level of chamazulene. Reproduction started in 1975 through the cross-breeding of wild-growing material from Spain with the variety Bohemia and following selections on the screening basis for individuals with high content of (–)-α-bisabolol in dichlo- rmethan extracts by reduction with thin-layer chromatography and gas chromatography. The variety testing was executed from 1980 up to 1983.

The early diploid variety was of a smaller size with middle-green leaves and middle-sized reductions. The content of volatile oil equals 0.9%, chamazulene content in essential oil 16.1% and (–)-α-bisabolol 35%. During maintaining breeding (–)-α-bisabolol increased in essential oil by 42.9%.

Novbona (National Variety Book C˘R reg. No 3052 and SR ev. No 3332)

The variety Bona served as the basic material. The breeding took place in Nová L’ubovn˘a from 1983 to 1990. By the selection through evaluation of the chemotype, inside the variety population, the part of plants with a high content of (–)-α-bisabolol and chamazulene increased.

The early diploid variety consisted of up to small plants, bright green fine leaves, small up to middle size of flower level, middle average of reduction, without tongue-shaped flowers, and including tongue-shaped flowers. In the variety population the (–)-α-bisabolol chemotype is rep- resented by 94%. The content of essential oil in the drug equals 0.9%. The essential oil contains 18.0% chamazulene and 46.1% bisabolol.

Goral (National Variety Book C˘SFR 1888/1990)

As basic material for the polyploid induction through colchicining in 1978, this was used in newbreeding and later registered as Bona. In the following years the population was selected on FIGURE 5.6.1 Crop of chamomile.

the basis of analysis for chromosome numbers and through chemotype screening individuals with appropriate characteristics. On the basis of the variety examined from 1986 to 1988, the variety was agreed on in 1989.

In comparison with diploid varieties, the variety distinguishes itself by increased breakdown. The mesh oversize up to 2 mm is 26% in comparison with 10% in the case of the variety Bona. The variety population represents itself as a mixture of chemotypes (35% (–)-α-bisabolol and 65% bisabololoxide). The content of essential oil is 1.1% and chamazulene in essential oil is 24.5% but the content of (–)-α-bisabolol 24% does not exceed the sum of other materials of the bisabolol type. Goral is favored by the farmers because of good harvest characteristics.

Lutea (National Variety Book C˘ R reg. No 3051 and SR reg. No 3333)

The basic material for breeding the variety of the bisabolol type is the variety Goral. In 1987 and 1988 under laboratory conditions and in strong isolation, selected individuals were cultivated on the basis of chemotype screening. In 1989 and 1990 the breeding was implemented under field conditions in Nová L’ubovn˘a.

Middle early tetraploid variety consisted of middle high plants, middle green central leaves, middle height of flower level, high detracted average without tongue-shaped leafs and with tongue-shaped leaves. The variety has a stable chemotype composition of the population (over 92% of (–)-α-bisabolol). The content of essential oil in the drug equals 1.2%, chamazulene in essential oil is represented by 21.2%, and (–)-α-bisabolol 43.3%. The breakdown is on the level of diploid varieties [9].

Values of secondary metabolites in the period 1991–1995 can be studied in Figure 5.6.2 (the varieties Bona and Novbona) and Figure 5.6.3 (varieties Goral and Lutea) [9].

FIGURE 5.6.2 Values of secondary metabolites in diploid varieties (1991–1995).

FIGURE 5.6.3 Values of secondary metabolites in tetraploid varieties (1991–1995).

Diploid Type 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

% of Es. Oil Chamazulen Alpha-bisabolol Alpha-bisabololoxid AAlpha-bisabololoxid B Spiroether % BONA NOVBONA Tetraploid Type 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

% of Es. Oil Chamazulen Alpha-bisabolol Alpha-bisabololoxid AAlpha-bisabololoxid B Spiroether % GORAL LUTEA TF4015_C005.fm Page 126 Friday, April 8, 2005 2:23 PM