Abstract
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is a member of the Lamiaceae family that is commonly used in herbal teas. Plants from the Lamiaceae family have numerous peltate glandular trichomes (PGTs). These PGTs contain essential oils, which influence the perception of rosemary aroma. In the present study, we used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to evaluate the chemical quantities of 10 active odor compounds from rosemary, i.e., camphene, 1,8-cineole, camphor, linalool, borneol, verbenone, carvone, geraniol, bornyl acetate and alpha-pinene. In addition, we used X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) to examine the tissue structure of PGTs from the leaves and stems of rosemary plants. We confirmed that PGTs included 3 types of essential oil. Moreover, we clearly demonstrated that individual PGTs have different structures, filled with different types of essential oil. Our findings suggest that combined use of X-ray CT and GC-MS is an effective means of evaluating the qualities of rosemary PGTs and essential oil.
