Influence of some technological parameters on the quality of essential oil collected from garlic chives leaves (Allium tuberosum)

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the distillation parameters for obtaining essential oil from garlic chives (Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng), including the raw material treatment methods and the distillation steps. The study focused on the influence of: (i) raw material treatment methods (grinding, grinding combined with ultrasound treatment and grinding combined with microwave treatment); (ii) the ratio of raw materials to water (1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4); and (iii) distillation time (1, 2, 3 and 4 hours) on the yield and quality of essential oil from garlic chives. The results showed that the combination of grinding and ultrasound treatment of raw materials, with a 1:3 raw material-to-water ratio and a 3-hour distillation duration, produced the highest essential oil yield of 0.156%. The essential oil is a light yellow, transparent liquid, with a characteristic pungent smell of garlic chives, and its main components are sulfides, with dimethyl trisulfide constituting the largest proportion (34.56%). The essential oil exhibits antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with inhibition zones of 18.72 mm and 16.69 mm, respectively.