Volatile constituents of micropropagated plants of Bupleurum fruticosum L

The essential oil and solid phase micro extraction (SPME) samples of Bupleurum fruticosum micropropagated plants were analysed by GC and GC-MS and compared with those obtained from the leaves and the stems of field-grown parent plants. The main constituents of the essential oil of the micropropagated plants were beta-phellandrene (61%), sabinene (13%), terpinen-4-ol, tricyclene and bicyclogermacrene (3%). Regarding to the field-grown B. fruticosum plants, the leaf essential oil showed the same major components detected in the micropropagated plants, while the stem oil showed gamma-terpinene (50%) and alpha-phellandrene (18%) as the most important constituents. Furthermore, SPME analyses were carried out in order to show for the first time a complete investigation on the volatile organic constituents of the micropopagated and field-grown B. fruticosum parent plants. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.