Handbook of Herbs and Spices - Volume 3

484 Handbook of herbs and spices

chemical components into:

PA type – perillaldehyde (ca. 71%) and L-limonine (ca. 9%) are the major compounds.

EK type – elsholziaketone is the major component.

PK type – perillaketone (or iso egomaketone) is the major constituent.

C type – major constituent in trans-citral.

PP type – contains phenyl propanoids such as myristicin, dill-apiol, elemicin or

caryophyllene.

PL type – perillone is the major constituent.

The above chemotypes are genetically stable showing no segregation in self-pollinated

progenies. Genetic experiments had elucidated the mechanism behind the inheritance

(Tabata, 1997). Many improved cultivars have also been released (Oh et al., 1998;

Park et al., 1998).

The chemical composition of the various chemotypes is controlled by single genes

and follows a simple Mendelian inheritance pattern. A series of multiple alleles

(G1, G2 and g) and an independent pair of allele (H, h) have been reported; G1 and

G2 are essential for the initiation of the monoterpenoid biosynthesis in Perilla. G1 is

responsible for the development of EK type, and is dominant over G2 that produces

the PK type. Homozygous (gg) plant is the PP type. G1 or G2 in presence of the

homozygous H(G-HH) produces the PA type, while the heterozygous ones (G-Hh)

produce large quantities of L-limonene, an intermediate in the synthesis of

perillaldehyde. The PL type is produced in the presence of the polymeric genes Fr1

and Fr2, which are involved in the conversion of citral into perillene. The C-type,

which controls the production of large quantities of citral, is homozygous recessive

for the two genes (Fr1 Fr1 Fr2 Fr2). (Koezuko et al., 1986; Yu et al., 1997; De

Guzman and Siemonsma, 1999). The biosynthetic pathways and the genes controlling

them are given in Fig. 29.1.

29.2 Crop production and management.................................................

29.2.1 Cultivation in Japan

Perilla is propagated through seeds. Seeds are often refrigerated (at 0–3 ∞C). Such

Fig. 29.1 Biosynthetic pathways and genes controlling them (adapted from Tabata, 1997).

Mevalonic acid

Shikimic acid g elemicin, myristicin, dillapiole (PP Type)

trans-citral

Fr

cis-citral

J

Egomaketone

Perillene

(PL Type)

Perillaketone

(PK Type)

NP, QElsholziaketone

(EK Type)

Naginata

ketone

h

H

G

l-limonene Perillalcohol Perillaldehyde

(PA Type)

R