Volatile constituents of different plant parts of Chamomilla recutita L. Rausch grown in the Indo-Gangetic plains

The composition of the volatile oils obtained from the entire capitula, disc florets, ray florets, leaves, stems and roots of Chamomilla recutita L. Rausch, grown at Lucknow, located in the Indo-Gangetic plain region in India, have been investigated by GC and GC-MS. A comparative study of oil composition from the capitula, disc florets and ray florets showed that the oils of whole capitula and disc florets contained higher concentrations of 6-methyl-hept-5-en-2-one, Artemisia ketone, (E)-β-farnesene, α-bisabolol oxide B, α-bisabolol, α-bisabolol oxide A and (Z)-en-yn-dicycloether than in the oil of ray florets. The oil of ray florets contained higher amounts of linalool, nerol and α-bisabolone oxide A. The oils of leaves, stems and roots were devoid of chamazulene and a large variation in the composition of these oils was observed. Limonene was found in high concentration in the oil of stems, whereas (E)-α-farnesene was present in large amounts in the leaf and root oil. α-Humulene, hexadec-11-yn-13,15, diene, isophytol and phytol were found for the first time in C. recutita. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.