Tagetes pusilla Kunth Essential Oil: Color and Composition in a Fresh and Stored Sample

Tagetes pusilla Kunth (serrano anise or anís del monte) of fine aroma and flavor, is a temporary dryland endemic plant species found at 2600 masl in Inviola, Imbabura province in the Ecuadorian Andes. The essential oil was obtained by the vapor stripping technique and the composition in fresh and stored samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometer (GC/MS). Results show that the extraction time positively affects the oil yield obtained. The analysis of the volatile fraction of the fresh sample revealed 12 components that represent 99.22%, highlighting Anethole (68.02%), Estragole (24.52%) and Germacreno D 2.69%); and, in the stored sample that represents 100% of the components with eight substances where Trans Anethole (47.22%), Anisole, p-propenyl (31.51%) stand out. ), p-Anisaldehyde (12.59%) and p-Anisylacetate (4.3%) with evident color change from light greenish yellow (fresh sample) to strong greenish yellow (stored sample), assessed using the CIE-Lab methodology. Components and flavorings become base materials for use in pharmacology, cosmetics, food, agriculture, and other industries; Therefore, it is a field to carry out immediate executive actions for its use and development.