1. Essential oil composition and variability of Laurus nobilis L. growing in Tunisia, comparison and chemometric investigation of different plant organs.
- Author
-
Marzouki H, Piras A, Salah KB, Medini H, Pivetta T, Bouzid S, Marongiu B, and Falconieri D
- Subjects
- Acyclic Monoterpenes, Cyclohexanols chemistry, Eucalyptol, Eugenol analogs & derivatives, Eugenol chemistry, Flowers chemistry, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Monoterpenes chemistry, Plant Leaves chemistry, Plant Stems chemistry, Principal Component Analysis, Terpenes chemistry, Tunisia, Laurus chemistry, Oils, Volatile chemistry
- Abstract
Stems, leaves, buds and flowers of Laurus nobilis L. growing wild in Tunisia were analysed for their essential oil composition. The essential oil of Laurus nobilis L. gathered from different stations were isolated by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC/MS. The oil yields on a dry weight basis ranged between 0.4% and 1.1%. The major component identified was 1,8-cineole, other predominant components were alpha-terpinyl acetate, methyl eugenol, eugenol and linalool. Although the same compounds were present in all plant organs, the leaves differed from the stems in the concentration of 1,8-cineole and methyl eugenol, buds and flowers in the concentration of 1,8-cineole and the stem's oil composition differs from the others in content of methyl eugenol. The results obtained from GC/MS analysis of the volatile oils from individual plant organs were submitted to principal component analysis. Chemometric investigations led to differentiation of stems, leaves and buds-flowers with the respect to the content of 1,8-cineole, metyhyl eugenol and alpha-terpynil acetate; flowers and buds were non-differentiated. Finally, the antibacterial activity of the leaves' essential oils has been assayed.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF