Essential Oil Profile in Different Parts of Echinophora cinerea (Boiss.)

Abstract

Echinophora cinerea is grown in the mountains of Iran and has aromatic and medicinal properties. The secondary metabolites of this plant are used as sources of natural antioxidants and anticancer agents. This study aimed to investigate the chemical compounds of the essential oils in different parts of Echinophora cinereal. The E. cinerea plants were collected in July, in the Zagros mountains, Iran. The chemical compositions of different essential oils were detected using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The highest essential oil content belonged to the flower and root of E. cinerea (0.90 and 0.85%, respectively). The essential oil content of the flower and root was similar, and the amount of essential oil in the leaf and stem was also the same (P>0.05). The total components of essential oil in the root, stem, leaf, and flower of E. cinerea were 96.23, 97.28, 89.95, and 97%, which included 44, 36, 27, and 38 components, respectively. The major important components of root essential oil included α-phellandrene (25.86%), p-cymene (18.17%), γ-terpinene (11.87%), (-)-Spathulenol (5.58%), and α-pinene (5.17%). The greatest important components of the stem essential oil included p-cymene (35.25%), α-phellandrene (23.17%), and α-pinene (10.66%). The most important components of leaf essential oil include α-phellandrene (16.5%), 6-Octen-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (R) (14.02%), linalool (11.87%), p-cymene (7.8%), carvacrol (6.48%), β-phellandrene (5.87%), and sabinol (5.77%). The major important components of flower essential oil include α-phellandrene (27.31%), p-cymene (9.86%), β-phellandrene (6.84%), 1H-3a,7-Methanoazulene, octahydro-1,4,9,9-tetramethyl- (6.78%), linalool (5.75%), α-pinene (5.26%), sabinol (5.06%), and 6-Octen-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (R) (4.92%). In general, it can be concluded that the different parts of E. cinerea differ in terms of volatile components, and the amount of each compound can be considered for exploiting this plant for industrial and pharmaceutical purposes.

Keywords

• essential oil
• industrial usage
• p-cymene
• spathulenol
• α-phellandrene