Essential oil composition of four Plinia species (Myrtaceae)

The essential oils obtained by steam distillation from fresh leaves of four Plinia species were analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Fifty-two compounds were identified, accounting for 83.9-98.0% of the total oil. The four Plinia species were characterized by the dominance of sesquiterpenes, especially oxygenated sesquiterpenes. For P. edulis, beta-caryophyllene and its oxide, caryophyllene oxide, were present in high percentage (39.3%), followed by spathulenol (11.9%). P. trunciflora oil showed beta-caryophyllene (8.2%), bicyclogermacrene (10.6%), globulol (10.8%) and gamma-muurolene (9.2%) as the main components. The oil of P. cauliflora was dominated by spathulenol (27.2%), caryophyllene oxide (21.6%) and epi-globulol (8.1%) and that of P. cordifolia was especially characterized by compounds with a bisabolane nucleus, such as alpha-bisabolol oxide A (28.0%), alpha-bisabolol oxide B (7.0%) and alpha-bisabolol (5.8%). This last species also showed a high percentage of beta-caryophyllene (15.9%). Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.