Speakers

Biography

Benjeddi Abir, a PhD student at the National Institute for Agricultural Research, is also a member of the Microbiology and Molecular Biology team at the Faculty of Science in Rabat, Morocco. She holds a Master's in Applied Microbiology and Bioengineering and a Bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering. She is passionate about medicinal and aromatic plants, and her research, culminating in her thesis, builds on this long-standing interest. Abir participates in national and international congresses, showcasing her evolving expertise in botanical, molecular, and biomedical sciences.

Abstract

In recent years, Morocco, the world's top mint producer, has faced a significant challenge: an increase in mint production coupled with a notable decline in exports. This situation is directly related to the product's declining quality, which is caused by contamination by pesticide residues used to ward against harmful agents in its cultivation.

As researchers attempting to handle this situation, we aim to assess the Mentha species' chemical and morphological diversity to develop new, disease-resistant, productive varieties. The agromorphological study was conducted at the flowering stage of the 25 representatives genotypes using 30 descriptors which included both quantitative and qualitative. GC-MS was used to analyze the profiles of essential oils obtained by Clevenger hydrodistillation.

Significant diversity was observed in shape, length and width measurements, pilosity, margins, leaf tips, and stem width, length, and color.

Essential oil yield varied from 0.39% to 2.12%. A high chemical diversity was observed by analyzing the composition of the essential oils of the progeny of the MV species. Among the abundant chemotypes in this collection are those rich in Carvone - Limonene D, Carvone - Dihydrocarvyl Acetate, Piperitone oxide - Limonene D and P-menth-4(8)-En-3-One.