Chemical Composition of Albanian Myrtle Oil (Myrtus communis L.)

Abstract

Chemical composition of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from Albanian wild growing myrtle leaves, flowers and ripe fruits was examined by GC/MS. Over one 100 compounds were detected in the oils, from which more than 40 could be identified. Significant differences were found in the concentrations of the main constituents of the oils, from varoius parts of the plant, such as α-pinene (11.4–22.5%), 1,8-cineole (13.8–21.8%), linalool (8.8–16.7%) and myrtenyl acetate (11.3–17.7%).