Chemical characterization of condensate as a by-product in chamomile drying process

AIM: In Croatia, chamomilla is the most dominant cultivated medicinal and aromatic plant, with total sown areas fluctuating between 7,700 and 10,000 hectares depending of seasons. Croatian chamomilla is internationally renowned for its rich concentration of essential oils and specific aroma. Up to 90% of the production is exported worldwide, with major buyers coming from Germany, Switzerland, the United States, and Japan. Chamomilla flos dryers are batch dryers with drying cycle of 15 hours at approximate drying temperature of 35 – 45 °C. During the drying process the condensate is produced and its colour, and optical characteristics, particularly limpidity are changing as the drying time is going. Usually, the condensate was treated as waste in drying process of chamomilla. So, the aim of our research was to find is it possible to treat the condensate as a useful by-product but not as waste in chamomile processing. ANALYTICAL METHOD: Volatile compounds were analysed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results are expressed as a percentage of the total peak area and reported as mean ± standard deviation of three replicates. RESULTS: The most dominant chemical compound in chamomile condensate is α-Bisabolol oxide A (35.22 %), than follows α-Bisabolol oxide B (29.52 %), 2-Ethylhexanol (7.64 %), α-Bisabolol (6.51 %), (E,E)-α-Farnesene (2.25 %), Artemisia ketone (2.04 %), Sulcatone (1.75 %), α-Pinene (1.64 %) and Yomogi alcohol A (1.44 %). The content of other compounds is lower than 1 %. CONCLUSION: According to results of our study, the condensates collected in different time of chamomilla drying seems like a very promising by-product. However, its standardization before final using in different purposes is required.