Tinkturenpresse

Convallaria majalis L. - Liliaceae - lily of the valley, Maiglöckchen

Herb with creeping rhizom, 0.10-0.20m, native to Europe; leaves mostly 2, elliptic-lanceolate; flowers bell-shaped, white, highly fragrant, pendent on a one-sided raceme; fruit a red berry.

„C. majalis is a native of Europe, where it largely avoids the Mediterranean and Atlantic margins. An eastern variety, C. majalis var. manschurica occurs in Japan and parts of eastern Asia. A limited native population of C. majalis var. montana occurs in Eastern USA . There is, however, some debate as to the native status of the American variety.“ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_of_the_valley

The fragrant volatiles of Convallaria majalis flowers were enriched by dynamic and vacuum headspace sampling. The products of the vacuum process displayed a more typical odor, maybe due the higher content of farnesol (2-3%) and 2,3-dihydrofarnesol (2%). Main volatiles of the flowers (vacuum) were benzyl alcohol (27-44%) and geraniol (10-17%), together with (E)-ocimene (traces), citronellyl acetate (0.5-3%), (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate (1%), benzyl acetate (1%), phenylacetonitrile (2-4%), phenylacetaldoxime (1-2%), and cinnamic alcohol (3-7%).
[Surburg et al., Volatile compounds from Flowers, in: Teranishi, R.;Buttery, R. G.;Sugisawa, H. Bioactive volatile compounds from plants. (Book) 1993, 169-186]

GC-MS analysis of vacuum headspace samples of the flower scent showed main components with floral-rosy-citrusy notes like citronellal, citronellol (9.6%), citronellyl acetate (1.1%), geranyl acetate (3.3%), nerol (1.3%), geraniol (8.4%), benzyl alcohol (35.2%), phenylethyl alcohol (0.78%), geranial + benzyl acetate (0.96%), neral (0.02%), phenylacetonitrile (3.0%), farnesol (1.9%) and 2,3-dihydrofarnesol (0.88 %); green-grassy notes like (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol (10.6%), (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate (7.8%), (E)-2-hexenal (0.18%), and (Z)-3-hexenal (trace); fatty, waxy, aldehydic notes like octanal (0.15%), nonanal (0.1 %), and decanal (0.07%).
Important trace components could be revealed by GC sniffing analysis, like (Z)-3-hexenal, green pea and galbanum-like notes like 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine and 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, and fruity-raspberry notes like β-ionone.
[New data on trace components with sensory relevance in flower scents, Brunke, E.J., Rittler, F., Schmaus, G., Dragoco Rep., 1, 1996, 5-21]

„…studies performed at Firmenich also revealed trace amounts of phenylacetaldehyde oxime, which exhibits an interesting muguet-orange flower duality when in pure form. It was proposed that its combination with 2,3-laevo-dihydrofarnesol could reproduce the key note of the flower; however, the instability of this oxime prevents its use on industrial scale.“
[Coulomb, J. „Beyond muguet.“ Perfumer & Flavorist 43.4 (2018): 40-46]

Main volatile constituents of a diethyl ether extract of C. majalis flowers from Serbia were benzyl alcohol, citronellol, geranyl acetate, 2,3-dihydrofarnesol, (E)-cinnamyl alcohol, and (E)- and (Z)-isomers of phenylacetaldehyde oxime.
[Đorđević, Miljana R. „PP94. Lily of the valley flower volatiles: the chemical composition of the flower diethyl ether extract.“]
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/228560523.pdf

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The standardised (effect corresponding to 0.2% convallatoxin) powder of dried aboveground parts of C.majalis (Convallaria herba) has been used to treat mild cardiac insuffiency. „Convallatoxin is similar to other cardiac glycosides. It inhibits Na+,K+ ATPase and indirectly increases intracellular Ca+ concentration.This strengthens the contraction of the heart muscle… The herb is very toxic and must only be administered under the supervision of a qualified practioner.“
[Medicinal Plants of the World. Ben-Erik Van Wyk and Michael Wink, Pretoria 2004, 112]

Thomé,O.W., Flora von Deutschland Österreich und der Schweiz, Tafeln, vol.1, t.111 (1885)
http://plantgenera.org/species.php?id_species=270522

Convallaria majalis
© Rolf Marschner (2009), www.botanische-spaziergaenge.at