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"Agricultural Aromatherapy: Lavender Oil As Natural Herbicide"

Greetings Lavender Buds,

 

Here is a great article I came across on Science Daily about how Lavender Oil has the potential to be used as a Natural Herbicide.  This article is dated 2009, yet still contains valuable information.  Wouldn't it be amazing to find natural things like lavender used as herbicides?

 

Link to Article:

 

Article Text Below

 

ScienceDaily (May 21, 2009) — Could essential oils extracted from lavender be used as a natural herbicide to prevent weed growth among crops? Research carried out in Italy and reported in the current issue of the International Journal of Environment and Health suggests the answer may be yes.

 

Elena Sturchio of the National Institute of Health and Safety at Work in Rome and colleagues there and at the Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, and the Department Crop Production, at Tuscia University, in Viterbo, have investigated the inhibitory effects on weed growth of aromatic oils, or mixtures of phytochemicals, from plants such as lavender, Lavandula officinalis.

 

Essential oils, are as the name suggests, often the plant's "essence" in terms of odour. Essential oils are complex chemical mixtures of natural products made by the plant for its own purposes, including terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes and phenols. Indeed, several plant essential oils are present as natural inbuilt herbicides and pesticides.

 

Synthetic pesticides and herbicides have been in common use for decades and have protected crops from parasites, insects, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and eliminated weeds. However, by virtue of their design, these substances are toxic and in some cases thought to be carcinogenic. Their incorrect use or inadvertent exposure have been the focus of numerous studies on animal and human health, the results of which have led to serious initiatives to find alternative approaches to pest and weed control.

 

Other researchers have investigated the potential of essential oils from cinnamon plants, and peppermint to prevent seed germination of some weed species found in the Mediterranean region.

 

Sturchio and colleagues have investigated the effects of lavender oil on root growth in a plant, Vicia faba in trials. This weed has large chromosomes and so was also amenable to studies in the laboratory that investigated the genetic toxicity of the essential oil on the weed. Their analysis showed the oil to be effective at killing the weed even at low concentration. Moreover, the oil affects growth of soil microbes and fungi involved in crop growth.

 

The team concludes that, "Essential oils could be useful as potential bioherbicides as an alternative strategy to the chemical remedy." They add that, "The use of phytochemicals permits the development for more sustainable agriculture at low environmental impact. Further studies are now needed to evaluate use of such oils "in the field".

 

The team points out that the oils would most likely be used either before planting or prior to transplantation of seedlings, so the essential oil would not have toxicity effects on the crop itself. Sturchio adds that, "essential oils are not accumulated in the environment, because of their low persistence due to the easy degradation by microbial and enzyme activity. This aspect could represent an advantage compared to the bioaccumulation of chemicals on soil."

 

Miriam Zanellato, Eva Masciarelli, Laura Casorri, Priscilla Boccia, Elena Sturchio, Mario Pezzella, Andrea Cavalieri, Fabio Caporali. The essential oils in agriculture as an alternative strategy to herbicides: a case studyInternational Journal of Environment and Health

 

Inderscience (2009, May 21). Agricultural Aromatherapy: Lavender Oil As Natural Herbicide. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 17, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2009/05/090514083921.htm

"Lavender oil has potent antifungal effect"

 

Article Text Below

 

ScienceDaily (Feb. 16, 2011) — Lavender oil could be used to combat the increasing incidence of antifungal-resistant infections, according to a study published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology. The essential oil shows a potent antifungal effect against strains of fungi responsible for common skin and nail infections.

 

Scientists from the University of Coimbra in Portugal distilled lavender oil from the Lavandula viridis L'Hér shrub that grows in southern Portugal. The oil was tested against a range of pathogenic fungi and was found to be lethal to a range of skin-pathogenic strains, known as dermatophytes, as well as various species of Candida.

 

Dermatophytes cause infections of the skin, hair and nails as they use the keratin within these tissues to obtain nutrients. They are responsible for conditions such as Athletes' foot, ringworm and can also lead to scalp and nail infections. Candida species coexist with most healthy individuals without causing problems but may cause mucocutaneous candidosis -- or thrush -- in some people. In immunocompromised patients, Candida species are able to cause serious infection if the fungal cells escape into the blood stream.

 

Currently, there are relatively few types of antifungal drugs to treat infections and those that are available often have side effects. Professor Lígia Salgueiro and Professor Eugénia Pinto who led this study explained why novel fungicides are urgently needed. "In the last few years there has been an increase in the incidence of fungal diseases, particularly among immunocompromised patients," they said. "Unfortunately there is also increasing resistance to antifungal drugs. Research by our group and others has shown that essential oils may be cheap, efficient alternatives that have minimal side effects."

Essential oils distilled from the Lavandula genus of lavender plants are already used widely, particularly in the food, perfume and cosmetic industries. Studies of the biological activities of these oils suggest Lavandula oils have sedative and antispasmodic properties as well being potent antimicrobials and antioxidants.

 

This group has demonstrated that these oils work by destroying fungal cells by damaging the cell membrane. They believe that further research into the mechanisms by which this essential oil works could have significant clinical benefits.

 

"Lavandula oil shows wide-spectrum antifungal activity and is highly potent. This is a good starting point for developing this oil for clinical use to manage fungal infections. What is now required is clinical trials to evaluate how our in vitro work translates in vivo," said Professor Salgueiro.

 

Society for General Microbiology (2011, February 16). Lavender oil has potent antifungal effect. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 17, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2011/02/110214201842.htm

Culinary Lavender by Lavenderology™

Culinary Lavender by Lavenderology™

Culinary Lavender by Lavenderology™

Culinary Lavender is a variety of Lavender you can use to accent your cooking like any other herb or spice. A versitile herb, Culinary Lavender has a variety of uses and goes well with many types of dishes including Appetizers, Breads, Sides, Meats, Main Dishes and even Desserts!

 

However, just like other herbs and spices, Culinary Lavender has specific types of dishes that it compliments!

 

The Culinary Lavender offered by Lavenderology™ is a variety called Lavandula Angustifolia, the most popular Lavender variety used in cooking due to its sweet aroma and flavor. Each Lavender Flower bud is about the size of a grain of rice with a beautiful blue-purple hue. Very aromatic and flavorful!

 

The Culinary Lavender offered at Lavenderology™ comes in a beautiful tin with a peek-a-boo window lid and contains a generous amount of approximately 1/2 ounce of Culinary Lavender Buds (about 1/2 cup).

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Eco-Friendly Products at Lavenderology™

When developing and designing the products and packaging, I thought beyond the presentation.  I also thought of the end result and where the containers may end up as well.  This guided me towards packaging that is reusable and/or recyclable.   You'll find that all the products in the line are packaged in PETE plastic (plastic that does not break down and seep into the contents) and is also able to be recycled.  Also aluminum, steel, glass and cardboard items as well that can also be recycled.

 

The green goes on at Lavenderology™ into the packaging and shipping as well.  Many of the suppliers of the raw materials and packaging ship their items in various types of packing materials like bubble wrap, air packs, paper wraps and styrofoam peanuts. I am going to reuse these items to package the orders that are shipped to Lavenderology™ customers. However, in the instance that I need packing materials, rest assured I will only purchase biodegradable packing peanuts that break down in water.

 

In addition, you will not find printed invoices in the order boxes.  All invoices are email generated, you have the option to print one if you like, but paperless saves trees!

 

Not only that, refills will provide a way to give customers more bank for their buck, larger sizes to refill their existing Bath Salt Containers, Magic Powder Shakers and Herb Tins too!

 

Lavenderology™ 

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