Identification of chrysanthenyl esters from the essential oil of Anthemis maritima L. investigated by GC/RI, GC‐MS (EI and CI) and 13 C‐NMR spectroscopy: chemical composition and variability

Anthemis maritima L. (Asteraceae) is a wild plant growing in Corsica and Sardinia. No previous studies of the chemical composition of A. maritima essential oil have been found. The oil contains two series of cis ‐ and trans ‐chrysanthenyl esters for which the MS data are not present in available libraries and the 13 C‐NMR data are not reported in the literature. The determination of these compounds is a challenging problem since some of these esters are present in low concentrations and they exhibit very similar EI‐MS. Objective To develop comprehensive strategies involving integrated techniques including CC, GC/RI, GC‐MS (EI and CI), 1 H‐ and 13 C‐NMR and hemi‐synthesis for the identification of both series of chrysanthenyl esters in A. maritima oils. Methodology Seventeen oil samples were prepared by hydrodistillation. A fine analysis of a pool of Corsican oils was conducted after repeated CC. A selected Sardinian oil was used as source of product for the hemi‐synthesis of chrysanthenyl esters. The identification of these compounds was based on joint information from GC‐MS (EI and CI), 13 C‐NMR and hemi‐synthesis. Results Integrated analysis of Corsican and Sardinian oils allowed the identification of 124 components accounting for 83.3–91.6% of the total oil. With the aid of principal component analysis, oil samples could be divided in two groups. Among 16 chrysanthenyl esters identified, 12 were laboratory‐synthesised and their 13 C‐NMR data are reported for the first time. Conclusions The study illustrates the contribution of integrated techniques for the characterisation of unusual essential oils. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.