Volatile Oil Composition of Burdock Root (Arctium lappa L.) in Response to Mineral Fertilizer Application

 Abstract — This study was undertaken to determine the changes that occur in volatile oil composition of cultivated burdock root as influenced by mineral fertilizer application in the Wine Land Region of the Western Cape province of South Africa. Harvested dry roots from different treatments was used for oil extraction by hydro distillation and the composition of the oil from the different treatments was determined by GC/MS. In total, T 7 recorded the highest number of compounds (20) with 7 of the compounds of peak% over 5. While T 3 had 19 compounds with 6 of the compounds of peak% over 5. However, T 4 , T 5 , T 6 and T 8 , recoded 14 compounds. Nevertheless, T 1 and T 2 had the least number of compounds with 5 compounds of peak % over 5 for T 1 and 4 compounds for T 2. Overall, the two treatments T 3 and T 7 with the highest number of compounds were treatments with less supplementary 1058 P 280 K 315 ) Kg/ha. Fertilizer treatments for the experiments were split into two equal doses at seedling transplant and at four weeks after transplant. Irrigation and weeding were conducted as required throughout the cultivation period with all protocol diligently