ENVIRONMENTAL-FACTORS AFFECTING THE LIPID-METABOLISM IN ROSMARINUS-OFFICINALIS L

The effect of some environmental factors on the lipid metabolism was s tudied in two chemotypes of Rosmarinus officinalis L. Epicuticular hyd rocarbons (EH), epicuticular fatty acids (EFA), whole leaf fatty acids (WLFA) and essential oils (EO) were extracted and analysed by GC-MS d uring winter 1991-1992 and related to temperature and moisture variati ons. Leaf fresh and dry wts were determined along with some morphophys iological parameters such as specific leaf weight (SLW) and specific l eaf area (SLA). Leaf areas were calculated by image analysis and stati stically processed as for chemical data. The results indicated that in R. officinalis the response to some environmental factors, with parti cular reference to temperature and moisture, was an increase in epicut icular hydrocarbons and a decrease in epicuticular fatty acids, leaf f atty acids and essential oils. Qualitative changes in the chemical com position of the above lipid classes were found to be correlated with t emperature changes. From a chemosystematic viewpoint, a clear separati on between the two chemotypes was achieved only when epicuticular hydr ocarbons and essential oils were considered as chemosystematic charact ers.