Metabolic characteristics of Monarda fistulosa L., grown in Crimea

Currently, wild bergamot or bee balm (Monarda fistulosa L.) is a popular essential oil plant containing a wide range of biologically active substances. The purpose of the research was to study the content of biologically active substances in M. fistulosa grown in the foothill zone of Crimea, depending on the vegetation phase. Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of freshly harvested and air-dried raw materials, in terms of the content of different types of biologically active sub-stances, including essential oil, were determined according to generally accepted methods. As a result of the conducted research, the features of the accumulation of essential oil, extractives, common phenolic compounds, phenolic carboxylic acids, flavonoids and tannins during the vegetation of M. fistulosa have been established. We found that the main oil-synthesizing organs of bee balm are leaves and inflorescences. The largest amount of essential oil (3.12 % in terms of absolutely dry weight) was obtained from inflorescences; in the fractional composition of raw materials, they amounted to 60.3 %. The maximum amount of essential oil with thymol as the dominant component (66.22%) was accumulated in plants during the phase of mass flowering (2.97 %). This phase is optimal for harvesting M. fistulosa plants as essential oilseed raw material. It was experimentally determined that the greatest amount of extractive substances and phenolic compounds was obtained during the phases of regrowth and bud formation–early flowering. This is an optimal time for harvesting plants as medicinal raw materials. It should be mentioned that air-dried raw materials of M. fistulosa can be stored for no more than two years. Phytochemical features of M. fistulosa plants grown in the foothill zone of Crimea were studied for the first time in order to use them as essential oil and medicinal raw materials.