Chemical composition of essential oils from needles, branches and cones of <i>Pinus pinea, P. halepensis, P. pinaster </i>and <i>P. nigra</i> from central ltaly

Abstract

Abstract The composition of the essential oils from the needles, branches and female cones of four species of Pinaceae, Pinus pinea , P. halepensis , P. pinaster and P. nigra , has been analysed and comparative chemical evaluations were obtained. In P. pinea the major compound of the essential oils of all the three plant parts is limonene (58.9–62.5%), in P. halepensis α ‐pinene (18.1%–53.6%) and myrcene (13.7–42.1%), in P. pinaster α ‐pinene (24.7–40.4%) and β ‐pinene (21.7–29.2%), and in P. nigra α ‐pinene (28.4–61.7%). Copyright © 2003 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.