Abstract:
Jatropha is an important genus belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family. The essential oil from the leaves of Jatropha mutabilis, which were collected in the semiarid of Pernambuco (Northeast Brazil), was obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus and analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Twenty components comprising 100 % of the leaf essential oil were identified. The major individual constituents were phytol (41.38 %), (+)-spathulenol (12.81 %), epi-α-cadinol (9.27 %), (-)- caryophyllene oxide (4.79 %), germacrene D (4.46 %), α-cadinol (3.86 %) and elemol (3.64 %). This is the first report on the chemical composition of the essential oil of this species.