Composition of the essential oil of wild grown caraway in meadows of the Vienna Region (Austria)

Abstract

The essential oil compositions of the different plant parts of wild growing caraway (Carum carvi, Apiaceae) were analyzed by GC/MS and GC/FID. The plants came from two meadows in the Vienna region, Austria. The oils from young fruits had a high proportion of limonene (61-83%), and those from inflorescences limonene (39-62%) and germacrene D (23-41%). The carvone contents of fruits, inflorescences and leaves varied greatly. Leaves and stems, low in volatiles, were dominated by germacrene D and germacrene A. Therefore, wild caraway appears as a valuable aromatic herb in meadows.