Essential Oils From Beilschmiedia pendula (Sw.) Hemsl. (Lauraceae) From Costa Rica

Abstract

The composition of the essential oil from leaves and branches of Beilschmiedia pendula growing wild in Costa Rica was determined by capillary GC-FID and GC/MS. Sixty eight and 67 compounds were identified in the leaf and branch oils respectively corresponding to about 84.3% and 96.7% of the total amount of the oils. The leaf oil consists mainly of monoterpene hydrocarbons (27.4%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (33.0%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (16.3%). The major components of the leaf oil were β-pinene (10.4%), β-caryophyllene (8.6%), α-pinene (7.9%) and bicyclogermacrene (7.2%). The branch oil consists mainly of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (59.3%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (24.9%). The major components of the branch oil were β-caryophyllene (17.3%), β-selinene (9.1%), bicyclogermacrene (8.9%), α-cadinol (5.8%) and spathulenol (4.6%).

Key Word Index:

• Beilschmiedia pendula
• Lauraceae
• essential oil composition
• α-pinene
• β-pinene
• β-caryophyllene
• β-selinene
• bicyclogermacrene
• α-cadinol