Volatile constituents of the roots of Echinops kebericho Mesfin

Volatile fractions from the roots of Echinops kebericho Mesfin were obtained by hydrodistillation and solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) and analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS); 65 compounds, representing 73.9% of the volatile fraction in the hydrodistillate from the roots, and 63 compounds, representing 78.6% of the volatile compounds in the SPME extract of the roots of E. kebericho , were identified. The main constituent found in hydrodistilled essential oil was eudesm‐7(11)‐en‐4‐ol (14.3%), followed by caryophyllene oxide (9.7%) and τ ‐cadinol (8.3%). High amounts of β ‐cubebene (22.7%), followed by β ‐patchoulene (11.1%), longifolene (10.4%), and cyperene (8.2%), were detected by SPME. Using both extraction methods, a total of 83 compounds were detected in E. kebericho essential oil. Monoterpenoid compounds represented 2.1% (seven compounds) and 2.1% (10 compounds) of the essential oil volatiles obtained by hydrodistillation and SPME, respectively, whereas sesquiterpenoids represented 72.5% (43 compounds) and 75.7% (31 compounds), respectively. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.