Essential oil composition of xanthium italicum from Serbia

Abstract

The essential oil isolated from stem, fresh and mature fruits of Xanthium italicum Moretti by hydrodistillation was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In the oil of stem, fresh and mature fruits, 121 components were identified, representing 94.6%, 92.1%, and 91.3% of the total oil, respectively. The most abundant compounds in stem oil were limonene (23.0%), methyl eugenol (5.4%), β-cubebene (5.0%),and δ-cadinene (3.3%). The oil of fresh fruits contained germacrene B (28.7%), shyobunol (16.7%), and α-humulene (8.4%) as major components. There were 4 major constituents in X. italicum oil from mature fruits: germacrene B (31.3%),α-humulene (11.8%), δ-cadinene (3.2%),and γ-muurolene (2.9%). Percentages of sesquiterpenes in oils from fresh and mature fruits were very high, 85.8% and 73.8 %.