Volatile Constituents of the Genus Ferula (Apiaceae): A Review

Abstract

Ferula is a genus of perennial herbs belonging to the family Apiaceae. Members of this genus are mainly distributed throughout the Mediterranean area and central Asia and are reputed in traditional medicine for their therapeutic applications against a range of disorders. Due to the occurrence of essential oils or oleoresins in the Ferula species, these plants usually possess strong aromatic scent. The current review concentrates on the chemical composition of volatile oils from different parts of Ferula species. To date, the essential oils from more than 20 Ferula species have been chemically investigated. The most distinctive feature for the classification of these oils seems to be the presence of sulfur-containing compounds. These compounds have been reported from some Ferula species such as F. assa-foetida, F fukanensis, F latisecta, F. persica and F sinkiangensis. About 160 components were identified as the main components of Ferula oils. Terpenoid compounds were the most abundant constituents of Ferula oils. The most frequent compounds that occurred among the main constituents of Ferula oils were α-pinene, β-pinene, myrcene and limonene (among monoterpene hydrocarbons); linalool, α-terpineol and neryl acetate (among oxygenated monoterpenes); β-caryophyllene, germacrene B, germacrene D and δ-Cadinene (among sesquiterpene hydrocarbons); caryophyllene oxide, α-Cadinol, guaiol and spathulenol (among oxygenated sesquiterpenes) and sec-butyl-(Z)-propenyl disulfide and sec-butyl-( E )-propenyl disulfide (among sulfur-containing compounds).