α-Pinene- and β-myrcene-rich volatile fruit oil of Cupressus arizonica Greene from northwest Iran

Abstract

Cupressus arizonica Greene is an aromatic evergreen coniferous plant with great importance in urban horticulture and in the pharmaceutical and fragrance industries. The hydrodistilled volatile fruit oil of cultivated C. arizonica from northwest Iran was analysed by GC/MS. Forty-three components were identified, accounting for 96.4% of the total oil. Monoterpenoids (91.9%) dominated the identified components of the essential oil, followed by a lesser portion of sesquiterpenoids (4.2%). Monoterpene hydrocarbons (87.9%) were the principal subclass of components, with α-pinene (54.3%), β-myrcene (11.1%), δ-3-carene (6.5%) and limonene (6%) as main constituents. β-Pinene (4%), terpinolene (2.8%) and camphene (1.1%) were the other monoterpenoids present in notable amounts. α-Terpineol (1.4%) was the only representative of the oxygen-containing monoterpenoids. Sesquiterpenoids had a minor share in the volatile oil's composition. Hydrocarbonic compounds (91.1%) had a higher share compared to the oxygenated components (5%). Comparison of the essential oil profile of C. arizonica Greene plants cultivated in Iran showed remarkable quantitative but slight qualitative differences with previous reports from other parts of the world. In summary, the chemical and percentage composition of the studied oil from cultivated C. arizonica Greene from northwest Iran was characterised by a high occurrence of α-pinene and β-myrcene, and is thus competent for use in related industries and as a favourite ornamental aromatic tree.

Keywords:

• Cupressus arizonica Greene
• essential oil
• GC/MS
• α-pinene
• β-myrcene