Comparative chemical and molecular variability of Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook.f. & Thomson forma genuina (ylang-ylang) in the Western Indian Ocean Islands: implication for valorization

Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook.f. & Thomson forma genuina (Annonaceae) is a tropical tree, grown for the production of ylang-ylang essential oil, which is extracted from its fresh and mature flowers. Despite its economic and social importance, very little information is available on its variability and the possible factors causing it. Therefore, the relationship between the genetic structure, revealed by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and the essential oil chemical composition, determined by GC/MS analysis, of ylang-ylang grown in semi-managed systems in three Indian Ocean islands (Grande Comore, Mayotte, and Madagascar) was investigated. Our results revealed a low genetic variation within plantations and contrasted situations between islands. Variations of the chemical composition could be observed within plantations and between islands. The genetic differentiation pattern did not match the observed pattern of chemical variability. Hence, the chemical variation could not be attributed to a genetic control. As Grande Comore, Madagascar, and Mayotte present different environmental and agronomic conditions, it can be concluded that the influence of these conditions on the ylang-ylang essential oil composition is consistent with the patterns observed. Finally, several strategies were proposed to valorize the chemical composition variations.