Chemical biodiversity of the leaf and flower essential oils of Citrus aurantium L. from Dubrovnik area (Croatia) in comparison with Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck cv. Washington navel, Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck cv. Tarocco and Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck cv. Doppio Sanguigno

Abstract

The essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS as the first comprehensive report on Citrus oils from south Croatia. The flower and leaf oils of Citrus aurantium L. were qualitatively similar containing linalyl acetate (up to 19.3%), linalool (up to 17.3%), (E,E)-farnesol (up to 13.0%) and (E)-nerolidol (up to 12.4%). C. aurantium L. leaves oil belonged to linalool/linaly acetate chemotype containing (E,E)-farnesol(13.0%) and (E)-nerolidol (12.4%). The flower and leaf oils of Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck cultivars showed similarities (sabinene dominated up to 34.4%). Great variability among the oils of C. aurantium L. and C. sinensins L. Osbeck cultivars was noted. β-Sinensal (up to 5.3%) and α-sinensal (up to 2.6%) can be pointed out as distinct compounds for the oils of C. sinensis L. cultivars not present in C. aurantium L. oils. Methyl anthranilate was found in all the samples up to 5.6%.

Keywords:

• Sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.)
• sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck cultivars)
• leaves and flowers essential oil
• linalyl acetate and linalool
• (E,E)-farnesol and (E)-nerolidol
• sabinene