Regul. Mech. Biosyst., 2019, 10(2) 264 Regulatory Mechanisms in Biosystems ISSN 2519-8521 (Print) ISSN 2520-2588 (Online) Regul. Mech. Biosyst., 2019, 10(2), 264–268 doi: 10.15421/021940 Agro-ecological cultivation, secondary metabolite characteristics and microbiological tests of lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis ) – the variety Citronella I. Salamon*, M. V. Kryvtsova**, K. I. Trush**, A. I. Fandalyuk***, M. J. Spivak**** *University of Prešov, Prešov, Slovakia **Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, Ukraine ***Zakarpatian Institute of Agroindustrial Production, Velikaja Bakta, Ukraine ****D. K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology of NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine Article info Received 10.04.2019 Received in revised form 06.05.2019 Accepted 07.05.2019 University of Prešov, 17 Novembra st., 1, Prešov, 08116, Slovakia. Tel.: +4-219-179-840-60. E-mail: ivan.salamon@unipo.sk Uzhhorod National University, Pidhirna st., 46, Uzhhorod, 88000, Ukraine. Tel.: +38-050-278-54-97. E-mail: mary- na.krivcova@gmail.com Zakarpatian Institute of Agroindustrial Production, Svobody st., 1, Velikaja Bakta, 90252, Ukraine. Tel.: +38-031-412-31-74. E-mail: insbakta@ukr.net D. K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology of NAS of Ukraine, Zabolotnogo st., 154, Kyiv, 03143, Ukraine. Tel.: +38-044-526-23-79. E-mail: n.spivak@ukr.net Salamon, I., Kryvtsova, M. V., Trush, K. I., Fandalyuk, A. I., & Spivak, M. J. (2019). Agro-ecological cultivation, secondary metabolite characteristics and microbiological tests of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) – the variety Citronella. Regulatory Mechanisms in Biosystems, 10(2), 264–268. doi:10.15421/021940 Lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis L.) is a native of the eastern Mediterranean region southward to Israel and Syria and eastward through the Crimea, the Caucasus, and Northern Iran to the Tien Shan and the Pamirs. It appears to have been natura- lized in the Central Europe including the Carpathian Ukraine and Eastern Slovakia. The objective of this study was characteri- zation of the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils from Melissa officinalis L. variety Citronella in the conditions of cultivation in a lowland region of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Plant material, balm dry leaves and leafy tops of the shoots, were grown in a small-scale cultivation ground at the Zakarpatian Institute of Agroindustrial Production in Velikaja Bakta, Carpathian-Ukraine. The Citronella variety is used for herb production. Essential oil from balm parts (herb and leaves) was isolated by distillation with boiled water. Hydro-distillation lasted for 4 hours, sample weights were 10 g of dry drug mat- ter. A modified Coocking & Middleton distillation apparatus was used. Identification and evaluation of balm essential oil were carried out using the selected analytical method of HPLC-DAD analysis. The final balm extract was analyzed directly on a Dionex UltiMate 3000 system. The analysis of balm essential oil was carried out using a gas chromatograph Varian 3090, connected to a MS Saturn 2100T integrator. The sensitivity of microorganisms to plant extracts was determined by the disk diffusion test (with disk diameter of 6 mm). The quantitative and qualitative characteristics of balm essential oil (0.05–0.12% v/w) and its composition show very high content of α- citrale (geranial) (44%), β-citrale (neral) (29%) and citronellal (9%). Rosmarinic acid can be extracted from leaves and its content equals up to 1.7 ± 0.1%. Composition of the natural substances depends on the balm taxon, origin, soil and climatic growing conditions, and methods of harvest and isolation and effective weed control which are used. Antibacterial effect of the oil showed low activity against all bacterial strains. Our results con- firmed higher activity of EOs against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative. The balm essential oil displayed antimitotic effect especially towards Candida glabrata clinical strain. Thus, studies have shown that Melissa officinalis variety of Citronel- la in the conditions of cultivation in the lowland region of Carpathian-Ukraine according to biochemical characteristics and microbiological properties corresponds to world analogues. Keywords: essential oil; chemical composition; antimicrobial activity; aromatic plant. Introduction The name balm comes from the Greek balsamon meaning “balsam”, an oily, fragrant resin. Since balm does not actually exude a balsam, it probably received its name from its fragrant aroma and its ability to soothe and calm the nerves. Balm has been known since antiquity for its medicinal qualities and for its use in bee-keeping (bees are particularly attracted to its pollen). The name Melissa of the genus of balms is the Greek word for bee (Lust, 2014). Lemon balm is a perennial plant that is common in the Mediterra- nean area and the Near East but is also naturalized in some places in Central Europe (Macura et al., 2011; Gurčík et al., 2012; Doğan et al., 2013). Mostly it is cultivated as a culinary herb, but it also grows in fields and gardens in Crimea, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lvov regions and Car- pathian Ukraine. Essential oil obtained from Melisa officinalis L. has shown antioxidant (Helmy, 2006; Ondrejovič et al., 2012; Safaeian et al., 2016; Couladis & Koutsaviti, 2017), antibacterial (Rostami et al., 2012; Zazharskyi et al., 2019) and antitumour properties (De Sousa et al., 2004; Queiroz et al., 2014). Lemon balm is used in various branches of industry such as medicine, cosmetics and food. The young shoots have a pleasant lemon aroma before budding. They are rich in vitamins, proteins, phytocides, microelements and other biologically active substances needed for the organism, especially after winter exhaustion. Lemon balm is used as a spicy herb in dry and fresh conditions. Fresh leaves can be put into any summer salads or vegetable soups. Dry leaves are used in the same meals in winter. Mixed with other spicy-aromatizing herbs, balm is very useful for preparing phyto- tea and stewed fruits (Babulka, 2005). Also, it could be added into ho- memade beer and kvass and also flavoured vinegar. Balm goes well with other herb spices in pickles, tinned foods, pickles of cucumber, tomatoes, food vegetable marrow, pepper, etc. In cookery, it is possible to sprinkle meat, or fish with powder from balm leaves as well as game some minutes before readiness. Lemon balm is a wonderful medical plant. It could be useful in treating all kinds of neuroses, stomach pain, problems in bowels that do not disappear under strict observance of keeping of diet, migraine and different headaches (Yarnell et al., 2013).