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Analysis of the essential oil from leaves of Croton zambesicus Muell. Arg. growing in Benin
Author(s) -
Block S.,
Flamini G.,
Brkic D.,
Morelli I.,
QuetinLeclercq J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
flavour and fragrance journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.393
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1099-1026
pISSN - 0882-5734
DOI - 10.1002/ffj.1558
Subject(s) - chemistry , linalool , essential oil , decoction , terpenoid , monoterpene , traditional medicine , caryophyllene , sesquiterpene , dichloromethane , terpene , botany , organic chemistry , stereochemistry , chromatography , medicine , solvent , biology
The leaves of Croton zambesicus are widely used in African folk medicine as a water decoction to treat hypertension, microbial infections and fever associated with malaria. Cytotoxic trachylobane and pimarane diterpenes have been isolated from a dichloromethane extract of the leaves. In order to check whether these compounds are present in the essential oil, we have analysed its composition by GC‐FID and GC–MS. The major constituents of the oil are caryophyllene oxide (19.5%), β ‐caryophyllene (10.8%), α ‐copaene (6.3%), linalool (6.1%) and β ‐pinene (5.2%). Only the less polar diterpenes are present in the oil: ent ‐trachyloban‐3‐one (3.0%), ent ‐trachyloban‐3 β ‐ol (0.5%), isopamara‐7, 15‐dien‐3 β ‐ol (1.0%), ent ‐trachylobane (0.7%), sandaracopimaradiene (0.4%) and kaurene (2.1%). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.