Chemical composition of the essential oil of Croton gossypiifolius from Venezuela

The essential oil from leaves of Croton gossypiifolius Vahl. (Euphorbiaceae) was obtained by hydrodistillation, and analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. The constituents were identified by their mass spectra and Kovats' indices. Fifty-one compounds accounting for 92% of the oil were detected, and 47 of them were identified. The oil was dominated by oxygenated sesquiterpenes with the major presence of alpha-cedrene oxide (18.6%), spathulenol (16.3%), valencene (5.8%), geranyl-pentanoate (5.3%), alpha-cadinol (4.0%), germacrene D (3.5%) and longifolene (3.3%).     

Composition of the essential oil of rootstock from Cimicifuga simplex

The composition of the essential oils from rootstock of Cimicifuga simplex has been investigated by capillary GC and GC/MS. The main components in essential oil were m-acetanisole (27.57%), (E)-cinnamaldehyde (6.84%), paeonol (5.58%), caproic acid (5.07%) and atractylone (3.10%). The oil was characterized by a high content of aromatic components (52.59%).     

Essential oil composition of Cachrys cristata--a rare and endangered species in the flora of Serbia

Cachrys cristata DC. (Apiaceace) is a rare and critically endangered species in the flora of Serbia. Essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts and fruits of this species was analyzed using combined GC and GC/MS. The oil from the aerial parts was rich in sesquiterpenes (45.7%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (32.9%), while the fruit oil consisted of a higher percentage of sesquiterpenes (48.3%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (36.7%). The dominant constituents in the oil from aerial parts were phytol (13.1%) and germacrene D (12.9%), while in the fruit oil suberosin (19.7%) and germacrene D (12.3%) were the most abundant.     

Chemical composition of essential oil from Jordanian Lupinus varius L.

The chemical composition of essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from flowering shoots of Lupinus varius L. was analyzed by GC–FID and GC–MS. Chemical analysis of this oil showed that it includes a complex mixture of aldehydes, alcohols, esters and mono- and sesquiterpenes. Forty one compounds were characterized in the oil. The major components of the oil were 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone (20.5%), pentadecanal (10.2%), (E) nerolidol (8.43%), carracol ethyl ether (4.3%), α-humulene (3.6%), (2Z,13E)-ocatadeca-2,13-dien-l0-ol (3.2%) and caryophyllene-5-ol (2.7%).     

Chemical composition of the essential oil of aerial parts of Haussknechtia elymaitica Boiss. from Iran: a good natural source for trans-asaron

The chemical composition of the essential oil of Haussknechtia elymaitica Boiss. was investigated by capillary GC and GC/MS for the first time. Twelve components were identified which accounting for 99.7% of the oil composition. The major compounds were trans-asarone (59.9%), trans-methyl isoeugenol (22.4%), α-zingiberene (7.96%), β-sesquiphellandrene (4.7%) and β-bisabolene (4.3%). The first three compounds considered as the main components of the essential oil were isolated and characterised by spectroscopic techniques.     

Composition and antifungal activities of the leaf essential oil of Litsea coreana from Taiwan

The hydrodistilled leaf essential oil of Litsea coreana was analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS. Fifty-two compounds were identified, the main components being n-decanal (27.5%), 2E,6E-farnesol (25.8%), beta-eudesmol (10.3%), ethyl n-dodecanoate (8.0%) and tau-cadinol (6.6%). Oxygenated sesquiterpenes (56.8%) and non-terpenoids (37.0%) were the predominant groups of compounds. The leaf oil exhibited excellent antifungal and anti-wood-decay fungal activities.     

Chemical composition of the essential oil of Thalectrum minus L. of Iran

The volatile constituents of the essential oil of Thalictrum minus L. growing wild in Kurdistan-Iran were investigated by GC and GC / MS technique. Twelve compounds, representing 100% of the total oil were identified. The main components were: Thymol (66.63%), para-Cymene (13.05%), gamma-Terpinene (7.32%), Carvacrol (3.70%), 1,8-Cineole (2.02%).     

Phytochemical investigation and antifeedant activity of Premna latifolia leaves

The essential oil of Premna latifolia Roxb. was obtained by hydrodistillation of fresh leaves of the plant having an oil yield of 0.05%, both non-polar and essential oil were analysed by GC and GC-MS. Hexane fraction of the leaves of P. latifolia was transesterified and analysed by GC and GC-MS, 40 non-polar components were identified comprising 89.3%. The most abundant fatty acid constituents were hexadecanoic acid (25.04%), 8,11,14-docosatrienoic acid (13.62%), octadecanoic acid (6.82%), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (4.19%) and 29 components were investigated in the essential oil which comprises 78.1%. The most abundant oil constituents were 1-octen-3-ol (35.69%), terpendiol II (7.19%), δ-guaiene (7.49%) 2-undecanone (4.80%) and α-pinene (3.27%). Different extracts were also tested against polyphagous crop pest Spodoptera litura for antifeedant activity. Essential oil showed maximum growth reduction of 56.83% followed by chloroform extract of 43.93%.     

Composition and enantiomeric analysis of the essential oil of the fruits and the leaves of Pistacia vera from Greece

The essential oils of the fruits and the leaves of pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Fresh unripe pistachio fruits were richer in essential oil (0.5%, w/w) than the leaves (0.1%, w/w). Twenty one compounds were identified in the essential oil of the fruits and the major components were (+)-alpha-pinene (54.6%) and terpinolene (31.2%). The enantiomeric ratio of the major constituents of the essential oil of the fruits was determined using chiral GC/MS and it was found that the (+)/(-)-alpha-pinene ratio was 99.5:0.5, (+)/(-)-limonene 80:20, (+)/(-)-beta-pinene 96:4, and (+)/(-)-alpha-terpineol 0:100. Thirty three compounds were identified in the essential oil of the leaves and the major components were found to be alpha-pinene (30.0%), terpinolene (17.6%) and bornyl acetate (11.3%).     

Chemical constituents of the essential oil from aerial parts and fruit of Anisosciadium orientale

The essential oils from aerial parts and fruits of Anisosciadium orientale DC. growing wild in Iran were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Seventy-one compounds were identified in the fruit oil and fifteen in the oil from the aerial parts. The main oil components of the fruits and aerial parts were myristicin (33.5%-33.7%), alpha-terpinolene (22%-25.8%) and limonene (19.5%-19.7%). Some compounds, such as geranyl butyrate and germacrene-D, were only detected in the fruit oil.     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil of Achillea cretica L. (Asteraceae) from Turkey

Hydrodistilled volatile oil from the aerial parts of Achillea cretica L. (Asteraceae) was analysed by a combination of GC and GC/MS. Seventy-six components were identified, constituting 86.4% of the oil. The main constituents of the essential oil were caryophylladienol-II (13.4%), β-maaliene (6.1%), neo-intermedeol (6.0%), carvone (4.9%), spathulenol (4.5%), palmitic acid (3.3%) and selina-3,11-dien-6α-ol (3.2%). The antimicrobial activity was evaluated by the broth-dilution method on nine microbial strains and showed to be quite strong against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. The antibacterial properties of A. cretica justify its use in traditional medicine for the treatment of wounds, contaminated through bacterial infections.     

Essential oil composition of Valeriana officinalis L. roots cultivated in Iran. Comparative analysis between supercritical CO2 extraction and hydrodistillation

The composition of essential oil extracted from Valeriana officinalis L. roots growing wild in Iran was studied by hydrodistillation and supercritical CO2 extraction. Forty-seven components representing 89.3% and 35 constituents varying from 86.1% to 95.1% of the oil obtained by hydrodistillation and supercritical CO2 were identified, respectively. The major components in the extracted oil from supercritical CO2 were isovaleric acid (18.7-41.8%), valerenic acid (8.2-11.8%), acetoxyvaleranone (5.6-9.6%), (Z)-valernyl acetate (4.5-6.5%), bornyl acetate (2.3-7.7%) and valerenol (3.7-5.2%), whereas by hydrodistillation were bornyl acetate (11.6%), valerenic acid (8.0%), (Z)-valernyl acetate (7.9%) and acetoxyvaleranone (7.6%). The analysis of the extracts was performed by capillary GC and GC/MS.     

Phytochemical analysis of Saponaria officinalis L. shoots and flowers essential oils

Phytochemical analysis by GC and GC/MS of the essential oil samples obtained from fresh shoots and flowers of Saponaria officinalis L. allowed the identification of 96 components in total, comprising 94.7% and 86.0% of the total oils compositions, respectively. Regarding the shoots essential oil, the major of 87 identified volatile compounds were phytol (14.1%), tricosane-6,8-dione (13.4%), patchouli alcohol (7.9%) and tricosane (7.2%), whereas patchouli alcohol (20.0%), heneicosane (11.5%) and tricosane (8.4%) were dominant among the 66 volatiles in the flower oil. Nonterpenoid compounds had the highest contribution in S. officinalis shoots essential oil (53.7%), while in the flower oil, constituents were almost evenly distributed between the oxygenated sesquiterpenoid (41.2%) and nonterpenoid compounds (39.5%).     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil of Heracleum rigens

The essential oil was extracted from the seeds of Heracleum rigens by hydrodistillation and a total of twenty compounds accounting for 98.5% of the total oil composition were identified. Physicochemical properties and chemical composition of the oil was determined by a combination GC/FID and GC/MS analysis. The major compounds identified were bornyl acetate (51.2%), alpha-pinene (22.6%), limonene (9.62%), octyl acetate (3.94%), rho-cymene (2.85%) and gamma-terpinene (1.93%). The antimicrobial activity of the oil was screened by the disc diffusion method against nine pathogenic bacterial strains. Maximum antimicrobial activity was noted against Klebsiella pneumonia and Bacillus subtillis. This investigation corroborates the traditional claim of H. rigens as an effective antimicrobial agent.     

Antimicrobial activity and chemical constituents of the essential oils from flower, leaf and stem of Gypsophila bicolor from Iran

The volatile constituents from flower, leaf and stem of Gypsophila bicolor growing in Iran were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The flower oil was characterized by high amounts of germacrene-D (21.2%), p-cymene (20.6%), bicyclogermacrene (17.6%), gamma-dodecadienolactone (13.7%) and terpinolene (9.4%). Twenty-four constituents representing 97.4% of the leaf oil were identified of which germacrene-D (23.4%), terpinolene (14.5%), bicyclogermacrene (7.5%), gamma-dodecadienolactone (6.8%), p-cymene (6.7%) and cis-beta-ocimene (6.3%) were major components. The main components of the stem oil were gamma-dodecadienolactone (28.5%), bicyclogermacrene (14.8%), germacrene-D (12.6%), p-cymene (12.5%), terpinolene (11.6%) and trans-beta-ocimene (4.2%). The antimicrobial effects of flower, leaf and stem essential oils from Gypsophila bicolor were studied according to the agar diffusion cup method. The essential oils had a moderate effect on the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, but had a substantial effect on the fungi studied.     

Leaf essential oil of Manekia naranjoana (Piperaceae) from Costa Rica and its cytotoxic activity

The chemical composition of the leaf oil of Manekia naranjoana (C. DC.) Callejas (Piperaceae) from Costa Rica was analyzed by capillary GC/FID and GC/MS. Fifty-five compounds were identified. Major compounds from the leaf oil were beta-pinene (30.6%), alpha-pinene (18.8%), limonene (13.7%), and beta-caryophyllene (6.1%). The oil presented very low toxicity to tumor and non-tumor cell lines, even though it contains components, such as alpha- and beta-pinene, limonene and others, which have been shown to be cytotoxic. This is the first report of the chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from this species.     

A detailed analysis of volatile constituents of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aquilegia pancicii</Emphasis> Degen,a Serbian steno-endemic species

Chemical composition of the essential oil of Aquilegia pancicii Degen endemic to Serbia is reported. Essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The major constituents were hexadecanoic acid (24.3 %) and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (14.1 %), among 130 identified compounds, representing 90.3 % of the total essential oil. The oil was marked by the presence of 69 fatty acid derivatives and low content of terpenoids representing 60.4 % and 7.8 % of the oil, respectively.     

Essential oil composition of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Santolina etrusca</Emphasis> from Italy

The essential oil composition of aerial parts of Santolina etrusca Marchi & D’Amato from Italy was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Twenty-nine compounds of oil were identified representing 97.1% of the oil. The most abundant compounds were viridiflorol (17.9%), terpinen-4-ol (14.4%), myrcene (11.8%), β-pinene (9.9%), and cis-muurola-4(14),5-diene (9.9%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the GC/MS determination of the essential oil composition of S. etrusca. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 38–39, January–February, 2007.     

The volatile constituents of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dracocephalum kotschyi</Emphasis> oils

The chemical composition of the essential oils of Dracocephalum kotschyi (Lamiaceae) aerial parts, grown in Iran and obtained from three different methods, were determined by GC and GC/MS. Fifty-seven compounds (93.3%) in the hydrodistillate oil, 55 compounds (94.2%) in the steam distillate oil, and 34 compounds (98.4%) in the hydrolate were identified. The major compounds in the hydrodistillate oil were α-pinene (12.1%), methyl geranate (11.2%), β-ocimene (8.6%), and limonene (7.2%). α-Pinene (15%), methyl geranate (14.5%), limonene (11.2%), and β-ocimene (8.4%) were the most abundant components in the steam distillate oil. The percentages of geraniol (13%), trans-verbenol (11.6%), and terpinen-4-ol (11.2%) were more than other constituents in the hydrolate. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 35–37, January–February, 2007.     

Chemical Compositions of the Essential Oils of Stems,Leaves, and Roots of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prangos latiloba</Emphasis>

Hydrodistilled volatile oils from crushed dry stems, leaves, and roots of Prangos latiloba Korov. (Umbelliferae) growing wild in Sabzevar (Iran) were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Eight compounds constituting 84.72% of stem oil, twelve compounds constituting 95.39% of leaf oil, and nine compounds constituting 88.73% of root oil have been identified. The main components of stem oil were γ-cadinene (30.39%), α-pinene (25.47%), and sabinene (12.55%). The main components of leaf oil were germacrene D (27.79%), α-pinene (17.81%), β-caryophyllene (12.75%), and β-pinene (11.23%). The main components of root oil were spathulenol (29.5%), 1,8-cineol (19.42%), p-cymene (17.03%), and α-bisabolol (15.33%). __________ Published in Kimiya Prirodnikh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 443–444, September–October, 2005.