Danica Kuštrak

Comparison of the essential oil composition of two subspecies of Satureja montana

ABSTRACT The chemical composition of Satureja montana, L. subsp. montana, and S. montana, subsp. variegata, (Host.) P.W. Ball, oils obtained from ten ecologically different locations in Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina were investigated by TLC and GC. The oil content varied from 0.66% to 1.47%. Substantial variations in relative concentrations of individual components were also noticed. The main component found in the oils was carvacrol (5.58–84.19%). The thymol content was quite low (0.45–2.84%) in most samples except for two, where it was significantly higher (8.01–13.61%). Cluster analysis and principal component analysis revealed the presence of four distinct chemotypes; however, the results obtained suggested that essential oil composition was not a useful chemotaxonomic character to partition between S. montana, subsp. montana subsp. variegata.

Aromatic Compounds of Micromeria juliana (L.) Bentham ex Reichenb. from Croatia

Abstract Oils produced from pre-fowering and fowering plants of Micromeria juliana L. were investigated by GC/MS. The oils were qualitatively similar but differed quantitatively. After the oil fractionation by LS chromatography and GC/MS analysis, 64 compounds were identifed. Important hydrocarbons were a-pinene (7.2–10.6%) with β-pinene (4.9–7.0%) as monoterpenes and β-caryophyllene (2.5–4.2%) with α-gurjunene (2.1–6.4%) as sesquiterpenes. The main oxygenated monoterpenes were linalool (4.7–7.6%) with its furanoid cis- and trans-oxides (3.5–4.6%) and borneol (2.2–3.5%). Other monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes as well as non-terpenoid compounds were present in smaller amount. The results of the present research reveal some differences in the oil composition of M. juliana of Greek origin.

Composition of the Essential Oil of Vitex agnus-castus L.

ABSTRACT Oils of Vitex agnus-castus L., which were obtained by hydrodistillation of the leaves, flowers and fruits, were analyzed by capillary GC. Plants were harvested along the Adriatic coast and from some off-shore islands. The oils were qualitatively similar although there were quantitative differences between them. The leaf oil was rich in 1.8-cineole + limonene (22.42–30.92%), sabinene (15.00–19.16%) and α-pinene (4.32–6.48%), the flower oil contained 1,8-cineole + limonene (12.18–18.43%), sabinene (9.34–9.99%) and α-pinene (2.01–12.00%), while the fruit oil contained 1,8-cineole + limonene (20.73–23.36%), sabinene (16.09–22.28%) and α-pinene (6.60–19.73%). The characteristic odor of the oil was not identified.