Evaluation growth and essential oil content of catmint and lemon catnip plants as new cultivated medicinal plants in Egypt

A pot experiment was carried out during two successive seasons to report the variation of growth characters and essential oil composition of Nepeta cataria (catmint) and Nepeta cataria var. citriodora (lemon catnip) plants. There are no significant differences between growth and yield characters of both plants. The results indicated that essential oil obtained from catmint and lemon catnip showed significant variability in their content and chemical composition. Percentage of essential oil content of catmint 1st and 2nd cuts during 1st season were 0.107% and 0.253% whereas recorded for the 2nd season 0.117% and 0.247%, respectively. Moreover, lemon catnip plants gave 0.237% and 0.363 in the 1st season against 0.243% and 0.350% in the 2nd one during the first and second cuts, respectively. The main essential oil constituents of catmint were 4a-α, 7-α, 7a-α-nepetalactone, 4a-α,7-β,7a-α-nepetalactone, geraniol and α-pinene while nerol, citronellal, neral and caryophyllene oxide were the main constituents of lemon catnip. Keywords: Catnip, Lemon catnip, Growth, Essential oi