A myristicin-rich essential oil from Daucus sahariensis growing in Algeria

Abstract

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from leaves and fruits of Daucus sahariensis Murb. were analyzed by GC/MS. The main constituents of the essential oil from the leaves were myristicin (34.3%), α-pinene (5.4%), cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (5.3%) and epi-α-bisabolol (4.8%), and those from the fruits myristicin (43.9%), α-pinene (13.1%), limonene (9.4%), and cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (7.4%). Myristicin, the main constituent of both essential oils, is generally absent in the oils from other Daucus species, permitting the hypothesis that this compound is a chemical marker of this Saharan species.