Impact of Storage Conditions on Alteration of Juniper and Immortelle Essential Oils

Abstract

Changes in the composition of juniper and immortelle essential oils were studied by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) during storage for one year. Samples were subjected to different storage conditions in order to reveal the impact of light, temperature and available oxygen. Each essential oil showed characteristic changes. The most reactive ingredients of juniper essential oil in the dark were β-myrcene and limonene, while verbenone was photochemically most reactive compound. The overall change was not significant, indicating that the juniper oil is stable. Immortelle essential oil showed the highest sensibility when exposed to light. Amount of italicene, isoitalicene and α-curcumene increased as a consequence of photochemical transformations of other constituents. According to these results, it may be recommended that immortelle oil should be stored in the absence of light at room temperature.