Chemical composition of the essential oils from Glechoma hederacea plants grown under controlled environmental conditions in Lithuania

Abstract

Chemical composition of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of aerial parts of Glechoma hederacea L. plants, which were transferred from five different natural habitats in Lithuania to the field collection, is reported. Sixty-two compounds were identified by GC (FID, RI) and GC/MS, which made up 70.8–92.0% of total oil content. Among first three principal constituents were determined germacrene D (5.5–15.5%), sabinene (6.3–12.3%), 1,8-cineole (5.1–41.6%), β-caryophyllene together with its oxide (7.3–19.3%,) and γ-elemene (9.6%). Content of the oils was less than 0.05% (v/w, on a dry weight basis).Data obtained clearly demonstrated the presence of chemical polymorphism within the population of G. hederacea in Lithuania and indicated remarkable differences in oil composition between cultivated and naturally grown plants at the same region. Also, it should be pointed, that some diterpenes, such as phytol and isophytol found in significant amounts in wild-growing ground ivy, were absent in the essential oils of the cultivated plants.