Volatile metabolites of <i>Pistacia atlantica</i> Desf. from Greece

Abstract

Abstract The essential oils of leaves (from male and female plants), unripe fruits and leaf‐buds of different samples of Pistacia atlantica collected from Greek East Aegean islands (Kalimnos and Lesvos) were analysed by GC–MS and GC. Qualitative and quantitative differences among the samples and different organs of the plant were observed. The oils were rich in monoterpenes. The main components in the leaf oil from the female plants were myrcene (17.8%, 24.8%) and terpinen‐4‐ol (11.6%, 6.0%) in the Kalimnos and Lesvos samples, respectively, while in the leaf oil from the male plants terpinen‐4‐ol (17.3% Kalimnos) and p ‐mentha‐1(7),8‐diene (41.1%, Lesvos) were the dominant constituents. The major components in unripe fruits were terpinen‐4‐ol (25.7%, 8.9%), myrcene (20.2%, 34.5%) and sabinene (14.9%, 19.5%). In the leaf‐buds oils sabinene (52.1%) and α ‐pinene (11.6%) were the main constituents in the Kalimnos sample, while in the Lesvos sample the major constituent was p ‐mentha‐1(7),8‐diene (42.4%). Copyright © 2007 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.