The essential oil composition of <i>Bubonium graveolens</i> (Forssk.) Maire from the Algerian Sahara

Abstract

Abstract The chemical compositions of the essential oils from the leaves and flowers of the endemic medicinal plant Bubonium graveolens , collected from south‐western Algeria, were established by GC–MS analysis. A total of 43 compounds were identified, representing, for leaves and flowers respectively, 97% and 97.6% of the total oil composition. 1,8‐Cineole (21.5% in leaves, 16.5% in flowers), δ ‐cadinol (19.1% in leaves, 13.9% in flowers) were the major compounds identified. The flower oil was characterized by a high percentage of 2,6‐dimethyl‐1,6‐heptadien‐4‐yl acetate (19.4%) and trans ‐chrysanthenyl acetate (18.7%). δ ‐Cadinene (12.4%) was detected exclusively in the leaf oil. This is the first report on the chemical compounds of the oil of the B. graveolens . Copyright © 2007 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.