Variation in the chemical composition of the essential oils of different organs of domesticated <i>Lippia multiflora</i> Moldenke

Abstract

The essential oils from the different organs of wild and domesticated Lippia multiflora Moldenke, analysed by GPC-FID and GPC-MS, were rich in monoterpenes. These made up 95.0, 94.0, 82.5 and 61.0% of oils from leaves, flowers, stems and roots, respectively, with a predominance of aromatic monoterpenes: p-cymene, thymol, carvacrol and their acetates together made up 44.0 - 74.0% of the oils, along with b-caryophyllene and its oxide (3.0 - 8.4%). Oils from roots differed from those of flowers, leaves and stems by a higher proportion of b-caryophyllene and its oxide (16.0%), and the absence of p-cymene g-terpinene represented respectively, 6.3 - 18.0 and 0.7 - 11.4% of the oils from the other organs. (Z)-β-Ocimene, identified in the oils from flowers (nearly 10%) was absent from oils of leaves, stems and roots. Oils of stems and roots contained very small amounts of hexadecanoïc acid, b-eudesmol, isocaryophyllene and phytol, none of which had previously been reported in oils from the Congo.

Key words: Lippia multiflora Moldenke, organs, essential oil, chemical composition.