Variation in essential oil and fatty acid composition in different organs of cultivated and growing wild Ruta chalepensis L.

Abstract

The essential oil and fatty acid composition of two provenances of Ruta chalepensis from four organs (leaves, flowers, stems and fruits) was determined. The effect of the plant part on total fatty acid contents, essential oil yields, fatty acid and volatile constituents was significant. Fatty acid profiles varied significantly among the studied provenances and organs. Linolenic acid had the highest amount in leaves of the two provenances. From R. chalepensis, in all organs, the main fatty acids were palmitic (13.10–25.31%), followed by palmitoleic (0–15.72%), stearic (1.03–6.85%), oleic (1.90–24.04%), arachidic (0.11–4.03%), eicosatetraenoic (0.10–5.60%) and behenic (0.47–6.09%) acids. Saturated fatty acids had the highest amounts in growing wild R. chalepensis flowers, and cultivated R. chalepensis stems were characterized by the predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Oil composition of all studied organs has a healthy and nutritionally value. Essential oil yields varied from 0.39% to 2.46% and showed a remarkable variation with plant organs. Thirty-six volatile compounds were identified in different analyzed essential oils; 2-undecanone, 2-nonanol and 2-dodecanone had the highest percentages.