Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different doses of Sulphur on yield and chemical composition of parsley essential oil. Sulphur was applied at different dilutions in the centesimal scale ranging from 0c (control), 6, 12, 18, 24 to 30c. The experiment was carried out in the field, and for each treatment there were five replications, that is, five vases with one plant each. The evaluated parameters were: plant height (cm), fresh biomass of the aerial parts and root (g), yield and chemical composition of the essential oil. The oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The results indicated that 12c dilution caused aerial part inhibition; there was an inhibitory effect on roots at 12 and 30c dilutions, and 6, 12 and 30 c dilutions inhibited fresh biomass when compared to the control (0c) and the other dilutions. Regarding EO yield, an increase in yield (%) at 18c (0.150 ± 0.01) and 30c (0.180 ± 0.01) dilutions occurred when compared to control (0c) (0.017 ± 0.01). The essential oil presented phenylpropanoids as the main class in its composition and apiole and myristicin as major compounds in all evaluated treatments. The 12c dilution allowed an increase in apiole (96.24%) and decrease in myristicin (3.76%).  However, myristicin has an increase in treatments 6c (14.65%), 18c (10.46%), 24c (13.66%) and 30c (14.80 when compared to the control 0c (5.99%).  In conclusion, a stimulating or inhibitory response occurred in the evaluated parameters depending on the utilized dilutions. The increase in apiole and myristicin is considered an economically important factor because they are substances utilized by the pharmaceutical, food and agricultural industries. 

Key words: Parsley, apiole, myristicin, phenylpropanoids, yield, dilutions.