The essential oil of Anemia tomentosa (Savigny) Sw. var. anthriscifolia (Schrad.) Mickel

The essential oil composition of the aerial parts of Anemia tomentosa var. anthriscifolia (Anemiaceae) was characterized by GC–MS. Total volatile oil yield extracted by steam distillation was 0.2% dry weight basis. The volatile oil was composed mainly of sesquiterpenes (75%, as the relative percentage of the total essential oil) with lower amounts of monoterpenes (15%); no phenylpropanoids were detected. The sesquiterpenes were composed mainly of oxygenated components (67%), including α ‐bisabolol (51%), spathulenol (1%), caryophyllene oxide (3%), α ‐bisaboloxide (1%) and 14‐hydroxy‐9‐epi‐( E )‐caryophyllene (1%). The monoterpenes were dominated by neral (5%) and geranial (7%), with lower amounts of α ‐pinene, camphene, 6‐methyl‐5‐hepten‐2‐one, 1,8‐cineole and pinocarveol. This is the rst report of the essential oil accumulation (0.2%) and volatile composition in the aromatic fern A. tomentosa . Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.