Correlation between Anthocyanin and Essential Oil Content of Damask Rose (Rosa damascena Mill.)

The essential oil of Rosa damascena Mill. is one of the most valuable and important base material in the flavor and fragrance industry. It has also some medicinal properties. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between anthocyanin and essential oil content of Damask rose petals in 6 important Damask rose growing in some locations of Iran i.e. Meimand, Layzangan, Shiraz Eram Botanical Garden, Shiraz College of Agriculture, Kashan and Urumia. The results of this investigation indicated that the essential oil and anthocyanin contents were significantly different in the petals harvested at various locations. The highest oil content (0.155%) and anthocyanin content (2.368) was obtained from the Shiraz Eram Botanical Garden. A high positive correlation (r Sq Linear = 0.812) was obtained between oil and anthocyanin content of Damask rose.