Essential oil composition of Eupatorium cannabinum L. infected by cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)

Eupatorium cannabinum L. grown at the Botanical Garden of the Bologna University (northern Italy) has been found naturally infected by cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Characteristic symptoms on almost 90% of the plants were chlorotic or yellow mosaic on malformed leaves and stunting. The virus was mechanically transmitted to herbaceous species (belonging to Chenopodiaceae and Solanaceae families) and detected by electron microscopy and PAS-ELISA techniques. The essential oil from both healthy and CMV-infected E. cannabinum plants was evaluated by means of GC-MS with the object of pointing out differences eventually due to the disease. The infection of E. cannabinum by CMV was found to induce significant reduction in the yield of essential oil and several changes in the relative composition of the main components.The importance of the phytopathological status of essential oil bearing plants is outlined.