CHARACTERIZATION OF ESSENTIAL OILS ISOLATED FROM RANUNCULACEAE SPECIES FROM ROMANIA

Abstract

Nowadays, the interest to essential oil-bearing plants has increased significantly due to their therapeutic and industrial potential. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to examine and confirm the presence of essential oils in seven different Ranunculaceae species from Romania by hydrodistillation. The results show that five (Aconitum toxicum, Aconitum variegatum, Hepatica nobilis, Ranunculus carpaticus, and Ranunculus polyanthemos) out of the seven investigated species contain volatile oils isolated for the first time from aerial parts. The hydrodistillation of the above-mentioned species resulted in a yellow to cloudy white colored essential oil with a waxy texture and yields ranging from 0.013 to 0.245 %. Our results are in accordance with some previous studies that have revealed similar quantities of essential oils in other taxa belonging to the Ranunculaceae family.