Essential oil composition of four Plinia species (Myrtaceae)

The essential oils obtained by steam distillation from fresh leaves of four Plinia species were analysed by GC–FID and GC–MS. Fifty‐two compounds were identified, accounting for 83.9–98.0% of the total oil. The four Plinia species were characterized by the dominance of sesquiterpenes, especially oxygenated sesquiterpenes. For P. edulis , β ‐caryophyllene and its oxide, caryophyllene oxide, were present in high percentage (39.3%), followed by spathulenol (11.9%). P. trunciflora oil showed β ‐caryophyllene (8.2%), bicyclogermacrene (10.6%), globulol (10.8%) and γ ‐muurolene (9.2%) as the main components. The oil of P. cauliflora was dominated by spathulenol (27.2%), caryophyllene oxide (21.6%) and epi ‐globulol (8.1%) and that of P. cordifolia was especially characterized by compounds with a bisabolane nucleus, such as α ‐bisabolol oxide A (28.0%), α ‐bisabolol oxide B (7.0%) and α ‐bisabolol (5.8%). This last species also showed a high percentage of β ‐caryophyllene (15.9%). Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.