Chemical Composition of Fennel Oil, <i>Foeniculum vulgare</i> Miller, from Spain

Abstract

Abstract The chemical composition of the volatile oils of seeds of Foeniculum vulgare Miller from two Spanish locations (Santander and Aranjuez) were investigated by means of GC and GC/MS. Leaf and stem oils of F.vulgare from Aranjuez were also examined. Two different chemotypes have been found in the seeds: (I) methyl chavicol (54.9%), fenchone (24.6%) in the seeds collected in Santander; and (II) (E)-anethole (54.9–38.1%), fenchone (22.2–34.4%) in the seeds gathered in Aranjuez. The oil from the leaves collected in Aranjuez (April, June) was found to contain methyl chavicol (12.3–12.1%), α-phellandrene (9.4–27.2%), limonene (25.3–18%) and fenchone (19.4–18.3%) as major constituents. The oil from the stems gathered in Aranjuez (September) was characterized by a high content of (E)-anethole (17.4–3–3%), α-pinene (9.7–14.4%), α-phellandrene (24.3–31.4%), p-cymene (11.5–5–2%), limonene (11.6–15%) and fenchone (9–1–17–5%).