Chemical Composition and Intra Mediterranean Variation of the Inula crithmoides L. Oil

Abstract

The composition of the essential oils obtained from Inula crithmoides specimens, harvested from wild populations during their flowering season in Greece, Malta and Spain was investigated by means of GC and GC/MS. All oils were dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons with α-phellandrene (11.0–26.2%), β-phellandrene (0.0–30.7%) and p-cymene (trace-53.8%) being the major components. p-Cymene, the main component of the Spanish specimens (53.8%), appeared to gradually decrease from West to East. The main component of the Greek oil was found to be β-phellandrene (30.7%). A total of 46 compounds were identified.

Key Word Index:

• Inula crithmoides
• Compositae
• essential oil composition
• p-cymene
• α-phellandrene
• β-phellandrene
• (12Z)-abienol
• 7-hydroxy-6-methoxy-2[H]-l-benzofuran-2-one