Essential Oil of Self-Pollinated Plants of Mentha aquatica with Sesquiterpene Alcohols as Major Components (Chemical Constituents of Wild Mints, part XX)

Abstract

This report deals with the essential oil of 27 self-pollinated S1 plants derived from Mentha aquatica, which contains 1, 8-cineole, menthofuran, and the sesquiterpene alcohols elemol and viridiflorol as major components. These S1 plants could be grouped into four chemotypes by comparison of the composition of the components in each oil obtained during flowering (August to September 1993). The chemotype of 12 S1 plants was very similar to that of the parent plant, which contains as major components 1, 8-cineole (4. 0-9. 5%), menthofuran (16.5-24.8%), β-caryophyllene (3.4-8.9 %), germacrene D (3.8-10.7%), elemol (10.8-20.4 %), and viridiflorol (8.5-16.3%). Eight other Si plants were of the menthofuran (31.5-45.1%) chemotype, and the chemotype of four other S1 plants was of elemol (18-2-23.1%) and viridiflorol (16.1-21.8%). The chemotype of three other S1 plants was of β-caryophyllene (13.8-18.5%) and germacrene D (19.6-21.2%). The menthofuran and β-caryophyllene-germacrene D chemotypes contained much viridiflorol (5.9-14.8%) and little elemol (0.0-0.8%). © 1994, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry. All rights reserved.