Essential oil composition of different parts of endemic species Seseli gracile Waldst. & Kit. (Apiaceae) from natural and cultivated conditions

Abstract

The chemical composition of the essential oils of Seseli gracile Waldst. & Kit. from natural habitat (Derdap Gorge, Serbia) and from cultivated plants (Belgrade, Serbia) were characterized. The essential oils of the root, aerial parts, inflorescence and fruit were analyzed by GC/MS and GC/FID. Monoterpene hydrocarbons were the main compounds in the essential oil of aerial parts (45.2-93.0 %), inflorescences (84.1 and 90.0 %) and fruit (85.0 %). Polyacetylenes (38.8 and 87.6 %) were dominant in the essential oil of root. The cluster analysis revealed that there were significant differences in the chemical composition of the S. gracile oils at different phenological stages. On the other hand, essential oils from the aerial parts from natural and cultivated plants showed quite uniform qualitative composition. The aerial parts essential oil from natural habitat contained higher content of para-cymene (mean values 17.3 vs. 6.5 %) and lower amounts of terpinolene (mean values 23.1 vs. 49.9 %). Also polyacetylene falcarinol was present only in the aerial parts samples from natural habitat. The essential oil of inflorescences from natural habitat contained higher concentration of terpinolene, quite similar amount of para-cymene and lower content of a-pinene.