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Effect of hydrodistillation with phosphoric acid on the yield of Chios mastic gum essential oil
Author(s) -
Kokolakis Antonios K.,
Kouvarakis Antonios N.,
Katerinopoulos Haralambos E.
Publication year - 2009
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.1958
Subject(s) - chemistry , essential oil , pistacia lentiscus , myrcene , pistacia , pinene , monoterpene , phosphoric acid , yield (engineering) , food science , chromatography , botany , limonene , organic chemistry , ecology , materials science , mediterranean climate , metallurgy , biology
The essential oil from the resin of Pistacia lentiscus L. var. chia (mastic gum), growing wild in the eastern Aegean island of Chios (Greece), was hydrodistilled and analysed by GC–MS and GC–FID. Mastic samples were hydrodistilled in the presence or absence of H 3 PO 4 . The results indicate that distillation in the presence of 10% H 3 PO 4 doubled the yield of the essential oil (EO). A total of 46 compounds, accounting for 90.16–99.13% of the total volatile components of the essential oil, were detected and their percentage contents in the essential oil were determined. The compounds that predominate are α ‐pinene (63.22–71.17%), β ‐myrcene (16.60–18.09%) and β ‐pinene (2.08–2.78%). These compounds were found in similar abundance in all samples, indicating that, at this concentration, H 3 PO 4 does not react with the oil components during the distillation. The significant increase of the EO yield could make it more accessible to the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.