Content Of Β-caryophyllene Research Articles

Quality and bioactive compound accumulation in two holy basil cultivars as affected by microwave-assisted hot air drying at an industrial scale

Holy basil (Ocimum Tenuiflorum L.) contains several bioactive compounds useful to the pharmaceutical and food industries. Microwave drying (MD) is a powerful technique for rapid drying of food or plant materials while preserving bioactive compounds during the process. However, little is known about the optimal combination of MD power with hot air drying (HAD) that can preserve the quality and yet only consume reasonable energy when drying holy basils. For that purpose, the effects of drying methods using MD combined with HAD at 45°C were examined to prevent losses in quality, antioxidant activities, and volatile flavor compounds in two holy basil cultivars (green and red cultivars). Holy basil leaves were dried at different MD powers of 200, 400, and 600 W combined with HAD and compared with a traditional tray drying (TD) at 45°C. Drying using MD at 600 W with HAD displayed significantly high levels of color retention, chlorophyll, and carotenoid content in both cultivars. The green cultivar showed a greater accumulation of total phenolic compounds (TPC), terpenoids, and DPPH free radical scavenging at 400 W with HAD. However, the red cultivar had the highest TPC, flavonoid, and terpenoid content at 600 W with HAD. The accumulation of major volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was also affected, and treatment at 600 W exhibited the highest methyl eugenol and β-caryophyllene content in both cultivars. The use of the highest power of MD (600 W) with HAD for leaf drying reduced the effective drying time and energy consumption among both cultivars. Taking into consideration the dried quality of antioxidant accumulation and energy consumed for drying, we recommend using MD at 400 or 600 W with HAD for the green cultivar and 600 W for the red.

Antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic properties of Origanum vulgare essential oil, rich with β-caryophyllene and β-caryophyllene oxide.

BackgroundEssential oils are of great interest for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. We aimed to study the content of the essential oil of the Origanum vulgare of the Armenian highlands (OVA) in different periods of vegetation and to investigate its antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects in mice (in vivo) and cytotoxic action in cultured cells (in vitro). OVA essential oil was extracted from fresh plant material by hydro-distillation.MethodsFor OVA essential oil contents determination the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method was used. Formalin and hot plate tests and analysis of cell viability using the methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium (MTT) assay were used.ResultsThe maximal content of β-caryophyllene and β-caryophyllene oxide in OVA essential oil was revealed in the period of blossoming (8.18% and 13.36%, correspondently). In the formalin test, 4% OVA essential oil solution (3.5 mg/mouse) exerts significant antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects (P = 0.003). MTT assay shows approximately 60% cytotoxicity in HeLa and Vero cells for 2.0 μL/mL OVA essential oil in media.ConclusionsThe wild oregano herb of Armenian highlands, harvested in the blossoming period, may be considered as a valuable source for developing pain-relieving preparations.

Secretory Products in Petals of Centaurea cyanus L. Flowers: A Histochemistry, Ultrastructure, and Phytochemical Study of Volatile Compounds.

(1) Background: Centaurea cyanus L. is a medicinal plant whose flowers are widely used in herbal medicine. The aim of the study was to localise flower tissues that are responsible for the production of secretory products in petals and to analyse the volatile compounds. The volatile compounds of the flowers of this species have not been investigated to date. (2) Methods: Light, fluorescence, scanning and transmission electron microscopy techniques were used in the study. Lipophilic compounds were localised in the tissues using histochemical assays. Volatile compounds were determined with the use of solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). (3) Results: The study showed production of secretion in the petal parenchyma, whose ultrastructure has features of a secretory tissue. The lipophilic secretion was localised in the cells and intercellular spaces of the parenchyma and in the walls and surface of epidermal cells, where it accumulated after release through cuticle microchannels. Sesquiterpenes were found to constitute the main group of volatile compounds, with the highest content of β-caryophyllene (26.17%) and α-humulene (9.77%). (4) Conclusions: Given the presence of some volatile components that are often found in resins (caryophyllene, delta-cadinene) and the abundant secretion residues on the epidermal surface, we suppose that the C. cyanus secretion released by the flowers is a resinaceous mixture (oleoresin), which is frequently found in plants, as shown by literature data. This secretion may play an important role in the therapeutic effects of C. cyanus flowers.

Optimization of drying parameters in the microencapsulation of volatile oil from Spiranthera odoratissima leaves

Spiranthera odoratissima A. St.-Hil. (Rutaceae), "manacá", is popularly used for head, muscle aches, rheumatism and, stomach, uterine, renal and liver disorders. The aims of this study were to investigate the physico-chemical and morphological properties of microencapsulated powder of volatile oil from S. odoratissima leaves, optimize the drying process and verify the influence of drying parameters on microencapsulation by spray-drying. The volatile oils from leaves were extracting by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger type apparatus and analyzed by GC/MS. The emulsions were prepared and spray-dried. Box-Behnken experimental model was used for optimize the effects of drying parameters on the encapsulation responses. The β-caryophyllene content in the microcapsules was determined by HPLC. The results suggest that the best operational conditions for the atomization drying of S. odoratissima volatile oil were inlet temperature of 158°C, feed flow of 0.25L/h and drying nozzle diameter of 0.7mm. These results reveal the technological potential of the microcapsules obtained from S. odoratissima volatile oils.

Enhanced Production of β-Caryophyllene by Farnesyl Diphosphate Precursor-Treated Callus and Hairy Root Cultures of Artemisia vulgaris L.

Artemisia vulgaris L. produces a wide range of valuable secondary metabolites. The aim of the present study is to determine the effects of various concentrations of farnesyl diphosphate (FDP) on β-caryophyllene content in both callus and hairy root (HR) cultures regeneration from leaf explants of A. vulgaris L. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4D; 4–13 μM), α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA; 5–16 μM), and FDP (1 and 3 μM) was used for callus induction and HR regeneration from leaf explants of A. vulgaris L. In this study, precursor-treated (2,4D 13.5 μM + FDP 3 μM) callus displayed the highest biomass fresh weight (FW)/dry weight (DW): 46/25 g, followed by NAA 10.7 μM + FDP 3 μM with FW/DW: 50/28 g. Two different Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains (A4 and R1000) were evaluated for HR induction. The biomass of HRs induced using half-strength MS + B5 vitamins with 3 μM FDP was FW/DW: 40/20 g and FW/DW: 41/19 g, respectively. To determine β-caryophyllene accumulation, we have isolated the essential oil from FDP-treated calli and HRs and quantified β-caryophyllene using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The highest production of β-caryophyllene was noticed in HR cultures induced using A4 and R1000 strains on half-strength MS medium containing 3 μM FDP, which produced 2.92 and 2.80 mg/ml β-caryophyllene, respectively. The optimized protocol can be used commercially by scaling up the production of a β-caryophyllene compound in a short span of time.

Analysis of Essential Oils from Leaf of Syzygium hancei Merr. & Perry, Syzygium caryophyllatum (L.) Alston and Syzygium lineatum (DC.) Merr. & Perry from Vietnam

The essential oils obtained from the leaf of Syzygium hancei Merr. & Perry, Syzygium caryophyllatum (L.) Alston and Syzygium lineatum (DC.) Merr. & Perry were analysed using gas chromatography flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The yields of the essential oils were 0.15, 0.18, and 0.15 (v/w) respectively, calculated on a dry weight basis. The main constituents of the oils were γ-guaiene (11.07 %), β-caryophyllene (9.11 %), cis-calamenene (7.46 %), α- copaene (6.97 %), trans-cadina-1,4-diene (5.09 %) were identified in the leaf of S. hancei. β-caryophyllene (42.53 %), (E)-β-ocimene (19.38 %) and α-humulene (5.37 %) were identified in the leaf of S. caryophyllatum. β- caryophyllene (64.53 %), α-pinene (6.14 %), α-selinene (4.76 %) and α-humulene (4.39 %) were identified in the leaf of S. lineatum. The chemical constituents of essential oils from the leaf of S. hancei and S. lineatum are being reported for the first time. The β-caryophyllene content found S. caryophyllatum in Vietnam was higher than in other region. S. lineatum with a large percentage of β-caryophyllene could be a source to exploit this compound.

Essential Oil Extraction of Cananga odorata Flowers using Hydrodistillation and Steam-Water Distillation Processes

This paper discussed about the effect of distillation processes in the extraction of cananga essential oil from Cananga odorata.In this research, cananga oils were extracted by steam-water distillation and hydrodistillation processes. The equipment used in this current research is a distillation home scale set-up plant which further will be applied on cananga local farmer in Sukorambi region, Jember district. Therefore, preliminary optimization process for this distillation equipment was required. The distillation batch (retort) contained 2 kg of cananga flowers and 20 L of water. Based on research result, the distillation equipment could run hydrodistillation process for 3 hours, while in steam-water distillation set-up could only run for 2 hours. The volume of water in distillation batch was a limiting factor in both processes. In general, the yield of essential oil was increase along the longer of distillation time that have been applied. However, the result showed that essential oil from hydrodistillation for 1 hour had the best quality compared to other distillation conditions, in terms of its volatile compound contents. Oxygenated hydrocarbons content in cananga oil from 1 hour hydrodistillation process (56.5%) was highest compared to 2 and 3 hour hydrodistillation (35.48% and 22.36%, respectively), and even to essential oil from steam-water distillation process (43.25%). Generally, extra grade cananga oil was markedly by the high content of esters, and linalool, but low in β-caryophyllene content. These characteristics could be found in cananga oil obatined from hydrodistillation process for 1 hour which contained major volatile compounds, i.e. geranyl acetate (16.58%), benzyl benzoate (13.38%), β-caryophyllene (16.35%), germacrene D (15.3%), and farnesol (9.54%). However, linalool was only found in cananga oil from steam-water distillation. Therefore the current distillation condition, hydrodistillation for 1 hour, would be applied in distillation of cananga oil at Jember local community.

Healing activity of hydrogel containing nanoemulsified β-caryophyllene

β-caryophyllene is a sesquiterpene present in the oil of many plant species, such as Copaifera sp., which has been shown to possesses potent anti-inflammatory action; however, its healing activity remains under study. The objectives of the present study were to produce a nanoemulsion containing β-caryophyllene followed by a hydrogel containing nanoemulsified β-caryophyllene, to evaluate the permeation profile in vitro, and to assess the in vivo healing activity, which is so far unexplored in the literature for pure β-caryophyllene and in pharmaceutical formulation. The nanoemulsion was obtained through high-pressure homogenization and the hydrogel by direct dispersion with hydroxyethylcellulose. Both formulations were characterized according to droplet size, polydispersity index, volume-weighted mean diameters, particle distribution, droplets diameters tracking, zeta potential, viscosity and bioadhesion behavior. β-caryophyllene content was determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Both formulations presented a nanometric droplet size, negative zeta potential, high β-caryophyllene content, and were stable for 60 days. In agreement with the viscosity results, the hydrogel containing the β-caryophyllene nanoemulsion showed superior bioadhesiveness than the nanoemulsion. The skin permeation study in Franz cells demonstrated that isolated β-caryophyllene was unable to cross the stratum corneum and that its nanoemulsification promoted its permeation. On the other hand, in the simulated deeply wounded skin (dermis), no significant differences were observed between the formulations and isolated β-caryophyllene with respect to the amount of marker retention in the dermis, suggesting saturation of this skin layer. For the study of healing activity, the dorsal wound model was performed with an evaluation of the lesion size, anti-inflammatory markers, and antioxidant activity. The initial closure of the wound was achieved sooner in the group treated with the hydrogel containing the β-caryophyllene nanoemulsion, indicating its anti-inflammatory effect. The histological analysis indicated that on day 12 day of the lesion, the hydrogel presented similar results to those of the positive control group (Dersani® oil), proving effectiveness in cutaneous tissue repair.

Process development studies for recovery of bio active isolates from spent black pepper generated from ayurvedic industry

The present study investigates the yield and purity of piperine isolated from spent black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), a ‘thrown away residue’ from ayurvedic industry. The spent pepper generated from a major ayurvedic industry has been screened for the presence of high value volatiles, extracts and active principles and also a commercially acceptable process have been developed and optimized herewith to produce oleoresin and high purity piperine from this residue. Results obtained from the UV spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) clearly suggested that purity of piperine from raw (92.54%) and spent (93.58%) peppers were close to that of a standard piperine (97.00%). A significantly higher yield of piperine (44.74%) was obtained by prewashing the oleoresin with hexane followed by recrystallization in ethyl acetate/n-hexane ratio of 60:40. The gas chromatography (GC) analysis of essential oils isolated by hydro-distillation from raw and spent pepper samples showed significant reduction in monoterpenes compared to sesquiterpenes, with an increase of β-caryophyllene content with the effect of processing. Moreover, the contents of oleoresin, piperine and essential oil in both spent and raw pepper showed that spent pepper retains 60% of valuable compounds even after industrial processing. In this way, spent pepper generated from ayurvedic industries could be utilized for value addition by development of high value oleoresin and nutraceuticals for healthcare application.

Essential oil from Philodendron fragrantissimum, an aromatic Araceae from Amazonia, Brazil

In the Amazon region of Brazil, the roots of different species of Philodendron are used in the traditional medicine. Philodendron fragrantissimum (Hook.) G. Don, locally known as ‘cipó-tracuá’, has very aromatic roots and is used for baths and fumigation. Here, we describe the chemical composition of the essential oil from the roots of P. fragrantissimum obtained by hydrodistillation in a modified Clevenger-type apparatus for 4 hours. The oil was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Thirty-five substances were detected and the major components were β-caryophyllene (29.9%), limonene (15.8%), β-selinene (11.5%), α-selinene (15.7%), α-pinene (3.4%), α-copaene (3.2%), β-pinene (2.5%) and δ-cadinene (2.9%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the chemical composition of the essential oil from P. fragrantissimum. The high content of β-caryophyllene was not observed in the other oils studied so far and might be considered a tool in taxonomy studies.

Evaluation of six drying treatments with respect to essential oil yield, composition and color characteristics of Thymys daenensis subsp. daenensis. Celak leaves

Thymus daenensis subsp. daenensis. Celak is known as an endemic and valuable spice plant. The effect of six different drying treatments (sun, shade, oven 50°C, oven 70°C, microwave and freeze–drying) on the essential oil yield, composition and color characteristics of leaves was assessed. The essential oils from fresh and dried samples were isolated by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger apparatus and analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The highest essential oil yields were obtained by freeze–drying (1.7%) followed by oven 50°C (1.46%), sun drying (1.42%), oven 70°C (1.01%), shade drying (0.91%) and microwave (0.89%). Results showed that air drying at ambient temperature increased significantly the essential oil yield. Higher temperatures (microwave and oven 70°C) lead to increase in thymol/carvacrol and β-caryophyllene content. In this study, Lightness (L*), greenness (a*), and yellowness (b*) of dried leaves were also compared with fresh one. Oven drying at higher temperature resulted in a considerable decrease in the color quality of the leaves. Air drying and oven 50°C and 70°C had the highest yellowness in comparison to other treatments. In spite of relatively low essential oil yield in Microwave drying, this method had many advantages such as shortening of drying time, high color quality and increased major compounds of thyme leaves.

Optimization of headspace solid-phase microextraction for analysis of β-caryophyllene in a nanoemulsion dosage form prepared with copaiba (Copaifera multijuga Hayne) oil

Recent studies have shown the anti-inflammatory activity of Copaiba oils may be addressed to the high content of β-caryophyllene, the most common sesquiterpene detected, especially in the Copaifera multijuga Hayne species. In the present study, nanoemulsions were proposed as a delivery system for copaiba oil in view to treat locally inflamed skin. This article describes the optimization and validation of a stability-indicating SPME-GC method, for β-caryophyllene analysis in the nanoemulsions produced by high pressure homogenization. SPME methods are performed with PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) fiber (100μm). Three SPME parameters were evaluated by a three-level-three-factor Box–Behnken factorial design as potentially affecting the technique efficiency. According to the results obtained, the best conditions to extract β-caryophyllene were: (i) sampling temperature of 45°C, (ii) sampling time of 20min and (iii) no NaCl addition. Results coming from the forced degradation tests showed a reduction of β-caryophyllene peak area when both caryophyllene methanolic solution and nanoemulsions were exposed to acid hydrolysis, UV-A irradiation, oxidative (H2O2) and thermolitic (60°C) conditions. Such reduction occurred in lower extent in the nanoemulsions, suggesting a protective effect of the formulation to β-caryophyllene content. Since no degradation products were detected in the same retention time of β-caryophyllene, the specificity of the method was demonstrated. The method was linear in the range of 0.14–0.68μgmL−1 of β-caryophyllene (r2>0.999), and was also validated for precision (R.S.D.≤5.0%), accuracy (97.85–101.87%) and robustness. Finally, the method was applied to quantification of β-caryophyllene content in the developed formulations.

Physicochemical properties and chemical compositions of Melaleuca leucadendron leaf oils taken from the plantations in Java, Indonesia

Melaleuca leucadendron Linn. leaf oils from Gunung Kidul, Gundih and Sukun, Java, Indonesia, at tree ages of 5, 10, and 15 years were analyzed to elucidate their qualities and chemical compositions. These oils gave yields from 0.61% to 1.59%. The samples from Gundih produced the highest yields (1.42–1.59%) compared to those from Gunung Kidul and Sukun. These oils were colorless with an odor typical of Melaleuca oils. The specific gravity of essential oils in this study ranged from 0.870 to 0.912. The samples from Gunung Kidul were the highest in specific gravity (0.905–0.912). The refractive index values of oil samples ranged from 1.468 to 1.470, optical rotation ranged from (−)2.47° to (−)0.98°, and ratio miscibility of oils in 70% ethanol ranged from 1:1 to 1:9.67. The organoleptic profiles and physicochemical properties of M. leucadendron Linn. leaf oils in this study were evaluated based on the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) 06-3954-2006 for standard quality of Melaleuca essential oils; only a few specific gravity values were below the standard. GC-MS spectrometry analysis indicated the presence of 26 compounds. Among them, 1,8-cineole (44.76–60.19%), α-terpineol (5.93–12.45%), d(+)-limonene (4.45–8.85%), and β-caryophyllene (3.78–7.64%) were the major components. Samples from each site tended to decrease in 1,8-cineole content and increase in β-caryophyllene content as plant age increased. α-Terpineol was highest at plant age 10 years, and d(+)-limonene varied according to plant site and age.

Artemisinin Biosynthesis Enhancement in TransgenicArtemisia annuaPlants by Downregulation of theβ-Caryophyllene Synthase Gene

Artemisinin is an effective antimalarial drug isolated from the medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. Due to its increasing market demand and the low yield in A. annua, there is a great interest in increasing its production. In this paper, in an attempt to increase artemisinin content of A. ANNUA by suppressing the expression of β-caryophyllene synthase, a sesquiterpene synthase competing as a precursor of artemisinin, the antisense fragment (750 bp) of β-caryophyllene synthase cDNA was inserted into the plant expression vector pBI121 and introduced into A. annua by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. PCR and Southern hybridization confirmed the stable integration of multiple copies of the transgene in 5 different transgenic lines of A. annua. Reverse transcription PCR showed that the expression of endogenous CPS in the transgenic lines was significantly lower than that in the wild-type control A. annua plants, and β-caryophyllene content decreased sharply in the transgenic lines in comparison to the control. The artemisinin content of one of the transgenic lines showed an increase of 54.9 % compared with the wild-type control. The present study demonstrated that the inhibition pathway in the precursor competition for artemisinin biosynthesis by anti-sense technology is an effective means of increasing the artemisinin content of A. annua plants.

Essential Oil Composition From Leaves and Fruits of Piper divaricatum G. Mey.

The chemical composition of the essential oils from leaves and fruits of Piper divaricatum G. Mey., collected in August 2005 and September 2006, was analyzed by GC/MS and GC-FID. Twenty-six components, representing more than 94.0% of the chemical compositions of the oils, were identified. Both oils showed higher concentrations of monoterpenoids, particularly the oils from leaves (74.2–81.1%). The oils showed some compositional similarities but the fruit oil could be easily distinguished from the leaf oil by the exclusive presence of α-phellandrene (4.6–10.0%) and significant content of β-caryophyllene (9.0–11.4%). The major constituents of the leaf oils were linalool (23.4–29.7%), β-pinene (19.9–25.3%) and α-pinene (9.0–18.8%), while the fruit oils contained β-pinene (18.0–12.0%), α-pinene (6.3–17.6%) and β-caryophyllene (9.0–11.4%) as prevalent compounds.

Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil from the Herb of Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers

The essential oil obtained from the herb of Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. harvested at four ontogenesis phases was analyzed by GC, GC/MS and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. More than 60 compounds were identified. Sesquiterpenoids constituted about 90% of the oil. Germacrene D (42.7–63.7%) and β-caryophyllene (9.0–15.9%) were the main constituents. The content of germacrene D increased until the flowering stage, however, the content of β-caryophyllene decreased at the same time

Composition and Chemical Variability in the Essential Oil of Hyptis marrubioides Epl.

The essential oils from stems and leaves (fresh or dried, and whole or sliced) of Hyptis marrubioides collected from two localities of Brazilian Cerrado were investigated by GC and GC/MS. Caryophylla-4(14),8(15)-dien-5β-ol, eudesma-4(15),7-dien-1β-ol, caryophyllene oxide and β-caryophyllene were the principal constituents. The results were submitted to Principal Component and Cluster analysis which allowed three groups of oils to be distinguished with respect to sampling site and post-harvested process: cluster I (fresh leaves and fresh or dried stems from Lavras site) with high percentage of caryophylla-4(14),8(15)-dien-5β-ol (16.7%) and eudesma-4(15),7-dien-1β-ol (12.8%); cluster II (dried leaves and stems from Tiradentes site) with epi-longipinanol (16.2%) rich oil, and cluster III (dried leaves from Lavras) containing a high content of β-caryophyllene (17.4%) and α-copaene (10.1%). Canonical discriminant analysis showed that is possible to accurately predict 100% well-classification in the original clusters using β-caryophyllene, epi-longipinanol and caryophylla-4(14),8(15)-dien-5β-ol as predictor variables. The whole or sliced plant materials resulted in similar chemical composition.

Seasonal variation in the composition of the essential oils from the leaves, thin branches and resin of Protium spruceanum (Benth.) Engl.

AbstractIn a previous paper, we described the essential oils of Protium spruceanum obtained from different parts of the plant. In this paper, the essential oils obtained from the leaves, thin branches and resins were collected from October 1999 at 1 month intervals up to October 2000. At each sampling, the oil content was determined in a Clevenger‐type apparatus, and examined by GC–MS. The major component from the leaf, resin and thin branch oils was sabinene (leaves, January 81.4%; thin branches, January 79.8%; resin, October 1999, 61.3%), followed by β‐caryophyllene in the leaf oil. The maximum content of β‐caryophyllene from the leaf oil was 36.4% in February. The highest oil yields were observed from leaves (0.4%) sampled in April and from resin sampled in October 1999 (4.0%). Thin branch oil yields were in the range ≤0.1–0.2%. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Composition of the Flower, Leaf and Stem Essential Oils fromLaurus nobilis .

The composition of the essential oil from the flowers of Laurus nobilis L. shows differences with the essential oil of the leaves with a high content of β-caryophyllene (10.0%), viridiflorene (12.2%), germacradienol (10.1%), β-elemene (9.7%) and (E)-ocimene (8.0%). Differences between the flower oil and the oils of stem wood and stem bark were also investigated. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Variation in aphid alarm pheromone content among glandular and eglandular-hairedMedicago accessions

Pea (Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris) and blue alfalfa aphid (A. kondoi Shinji) deterrency in alfalfa (Medicago saliva L.) may result from incorporating higher levels of the aphid alarm pheromone,(E)-β-farnesene relative to(E)-β-caryophyllene. We evaluated five eglandular and two glandular-haired alfalfa accessions for differences in(E)-β-farnesene and(E)-β-caryophyllene content under glasshouse conditions using supercritical fluid extraction and gas chromatography. In addition, pea and blue alfalfa aphid olfactory behavioral tests were conducted uponMedicago species containing different ratios of(E)-β-famesene relative to(E)-β-caryophyllene. No differences in(E)-β-caryophyllene content were observed among the seven entries (μ=0.42 ng/g plant material). Significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) among entries were observed for(E)-β-famesene content, with KS94GH6 exhibiting the highest (1.18 ng/g), and CUF 101 the lowest levels (0.35 ng/g). Elite tetraploid sources possessed significantly lower levels (μ=0.42 ng/g) of(E)-β-farnesene than did wild and cultivated diploid accessions (μ=0.83 ng/g). Olfactory behavioral tests for both the pea and blue alfalfa aphids demonstrated KS94GH6 repelled aphids while cultivated alfalfa types attracted aphids in each case. Previously demonstrated aphid resistance in diploid KS94GH6 may result from superior(E)-β- farnesene levels, but(E)-β-farnesene is probably not a factor in cultivated alfalfa resistance. Finally, accession KS94GH6 could act as an excellent germplasm resource for the incorporation of higher(E)-β-farnesene levels into cultivated alfalfa.