Analysis of the essential oil from aerial parts of Perovskia atriplicifolia Benth. at different stages of plant growth

Abstract

AbstractThe essential oils were isolated by steam distillation from aerial parts of Perovskia atriplicifolia Benth. at three stages of growth (before flowering, at the beginning of flowering and at complete flowering). The oils were investigated by a combination of GC and GC–MS. Oil yields related to the three stages of plant growth were 1.69%, 1.60% and 1.64% w/w, respectively. Oil yields, related to the stage of complete flowering, were: for flower oil, 1.45% w/w; for leaf oil 1.47% w/w; and for stem oil 2.1% w/w. Forty‐eight components were characterized from the aerial parts, the major components at the complete flowering stage being 1,8‐cineole (20.74%), camphor (14.52%), limonene (8.58%), β‐caryophyllene (7.91%), α‐pinene (7.77%), α‐humulene (6.28%) and δ‐3‐carene (6.04%). At the flowering stage, 46 components were identified: in leaf oil, β‐caryophyllene (12.51%), 1,8‐cineole (11.70%), limonene (9.66%), α‐humulene (9.36%); in stem oil, 1,8‐cineole (15.64%), β‐caryophyllene (11.92%), camphor (11.63%), α‐humulene (9.55%), limonene (5.24%); and in flower oil 1,8‐cineole (19.52%), α‐pinene (13.97%), camphor (8.60%), β‐caryophyllene (8.36%) were the major constituents. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.