Identification of essential oil components of Marrubium thessalum Boiss. & Heldr., growing wild in Greece

Abstract

The essential oil of the Greek endemic species Marrubium thessalum Boiss. & Heldr. (Lamiaceae) was obtained by the hydrodistillation of its aerial parts during the flowering stage. The composition of the oil was analysed by GC and GC-MS. Thirty compounds were identified. The oil was devoid of monoterpenes, while sesquiterpenes constituted the major fraction. The main components of the oil were caryophyllene oxide (21.7%), β-caryophyllene (17.6%), germacrene D (15.3%), β-bisabolene (12.6%) and trans-β-farnesene (8.1%).

Keywords:

• Marrubium thessalum
• Lamiaceae
• essential oil
• chemical composition
• GC-MS
• sesquiterpenes

Acknowledgements

C. Argyropoulou gratefully acknowledges the financial support from Alexander S. Onassis foundation. The authors are grateful to Assistant Prof. Theophanis Constantinidis (Faculty of Biology, University of Athens) for the identification of the plant material.