Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: P007
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.P007
Published online: 22 April 2026
Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oil and hydrolate obtained from Monarda didyma L.
Patrycja Cichosz*, Magdalena Walasek-Janusz, Rafał Papliński and Renata Nurzyńska-Wierdak
Department of Vegetable and Herb Crops, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 54 Doświadczalna St., 20-280 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: patrycja.cichosz@up.edu.pl
Monarda didyma L. is an aromatic plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family, valued both for its ornamental qualities and health-promoting properties. Traditionally, it has been used by Native Americans to treat infections of the digestive and respiratory systems, as well as skin disorders. The essential oil exhibits sedative, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties associated with the presence of thymol and carvacrol. During essential oil extraction via distillation, hydrolates are also produced; however, they remain considerably less studied than essential oils, particularly in terms of their chemical composition and biological properties. The aim of this study was to compare the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oils and hydrolates obtained from the leaves, flowers, and aerial parts of M. didyma.
The plant material was subjected to hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus, followed by qualitative and quantitative analysis using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Antioxidant activity was evaluated based on total polyphenol content (Folin–Ciocalteu method) as well as DPPH and FRAP assays. The highest yield of essential oil was obtained from flowers (3.71 mL/100 g DW), while hydrolates were obtained in similar amounts from all plant parts. A total of 47 compounds were identified in the essential oils, with thymol as the dominant component (51.55–68.63%). In contrast, hydrolates were characterized by a much simpler chemical composition, also dominated by thymol. Essential oils exhibited a high polyphenol content (306.82–415.84 mg GAE/mL) and very strong antioxidant activity (approximately 90% DPPH inhibition), whereas hydrolates contained significantly lower amounts of polyphenols (5.97–7.06 mg GAE/mL) but still showed notable free radical scavenging capacity (over 60% in the DPPH assay).
FRAP results confirmed the higher antioxidant activity of essential oils compared to hydrolates. Clear differences were observed among the analyzed plant parts: flowers showed the highest essential oil yield and polyphenol content, leaves exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity, while aerial parts were characterized by a more diverse chemical profile and the highest antioxidant activity among hydrolates. The results indicate that the observed differences in chemical composition and antioxidant activity between essential oils and hydrolates are primarily attributable to their distinct chemical profiles and physicochemical properties, which determine the solubility and presence of specific groups of compounds. Essential oils, as hydrophobic fractions rich in terpenes and phenolic compounds, demonstrate stronger biological activity than hydrolates. Despite their lower content of active compounds, hydrolates also constitute a valuable source of natural antioxidants. This suggests their potential for broader application, particularly in products requiring milder activity and water solubility, such as cosmetics and food preparations.
Keywords: biological activity; DPPH; Lamiaceae; secondary metabolites; polyphenols
How to cite
Cichosz P., Walasek-Janusz M., Papliński R., Nurzyńska-Wierdak R., 2026. Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oil and hydrolate obtained from Monarda didyma L.. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.P007