Composition of the Essential Oil of Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch from Some European Countries

Abstract

Variations in the essential oil composition of Leviticum officinale W.D.J. Koch from different European countries were determined using capillary GC and GC/MS methods. The oils were obtained in yields of 0.11–1.80% from dried cut roots and 0.09% from leaves. A total of 48 components were identified, representing over 87% of the total yield of oil. Ten compounds not earlier reported: trans-p-mentha-2,8-dien-1-ol, iso-thujyl alcohol, p-mentha-1,5-dien-8-ol, bicyclo[3.2.0]heptan-3-ol, 2-methylene-6,6-dimethyl, trans-carveol, perillaldehyde, sabinyl acetate, perillyl alcohol, methyl ester of methylpentadecate acid, and methyl hexadecadienate acid. The principal components in the oils of L. officinale roots were β-phellandrene (0.1–48.9%), pentylcyclohexadiene (0–12.3%), trans-sabinyl acetate (0–12.1%), α-terpinyl acetate (0–26.1%), (Z)-3-butylidene phthalide (0.1–31.2%), and (Z)-ligustilide (0.2–70.9%). Phthalide isomers were predominant (73.2–82.6%) in the oils from Estonia, France, and Belgium. The roots oil of L. officinale from Scotland was rich in β-phellandrene (48.9%) and phenylacetaldehyde (17.2%). Maximum content of trans-sabinyl and α-terpinyl acetates (total 38.2%) was found in the oil from Holland. Estonian L. officinale root oil contained in high quantities (E)-ligustilide (52.4–70.9%) and pentylcyclohexadiene (12.3%). The L. officinale leaf oil cultivated in Estonia contained in high amounts α-terpinyl acetate (55.8%) and β-phellandrene (11.3%). The content of (Z)-ligustilide (17.0%) in the leaf oil was smaller compared with the root oil.