Chemical Composition and Variation of the Essential Oil of Wild Sardinian Helichrysum Italicum G. Don subsp. Microphyllum (Willd.) Nym from Vegetative Period to Post-blooming

• Published in: The Journal of essential oil research Vol. 22; no. 5; pp. 373 - 380
• Main Authors: Usai, M, Foddai, M, Bernardini, A.F, Muselli, A, Costa, J, Marchetti, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.09.2010
• Subjects: acetates; aerial parts; alcohols; altitude; Asteraceae; chemical composition; chemical constituents of plants; climatic factors; developmental stages; essential oil composition; essential oils; eudesm-5-en-11-ol; eudesmen-5-en-11-ol; flowering; gas chromatography; Helichrysum italicum; Helichrysum italicum ssp. microphyllum; mass spectrometry; nerol; neryl acetate; oxygenated compounds; phenology; seasonal variation; temporal variation; vegetative growth; wild plants; Sardinia
• ISSN: 1041-2905; 2163-8152
• DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2010.9700350

The essential oils obtained by water distillation from the aerial parts of Helichrysum italicum G. Don subsp. microphyllum (Willd.) Nym. were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Three different populations growing at different elevations and under different weather conditions were studied from their vegetative period to post-blooming time. Forty-eight constituents accounting for between 96.5% and 83.0% of total oils have been identified and quantified. Among the identified constituents those present in the highest percentage were neryl acetate (17.6–35.6%), nerol (3.7–14.4%) and eudesmen-5-en-11-ol (6.4–23.5%). Among them, the neryl acetal percentage decreased when 5-eudesmen-11-ol percentage increased, and limonene reached 7% relative composition. The main fraction of the oil consisted of oxygenated compounds present in higher concentrations in June.