Chemical composition of essential oils and leaves and flowers from five cultivars of myrtle (Myrtus communis L.).

The composition of essential oils extracted from leaves and flowers of five selected cultivars of myrtle ( Myrtus communis L.) growing in the same orchard was determined by GC/ MS at the full bloom time. Yields of essential oil by hydrodistillation ranged from 1.2 to 3.2 g center dot kg-1 of leaf fresh weight, while flower essential oil yield was comprised between 1.2 and 4.4 g center dot kg-1. Fifty-one compounds were identified with a percentage of corresponding peak ranging from 94.3 to 99.8% of the total. The main components of the essential oils were 1,8- cineole, linalool, and alpha- terpineol. Dihydroeugenyl- butanoate was the main component of the flower oil of the `Daniela' cultivar with a rate of 19.45%, while in the `Barbara' flower oil reached the 21.24%. This compound was not previously detected in the essential oils of myrtle, as well as the dihydroeugenyl- pentanoate, which ranged from 1.40 to 6.82% when detected. Other main compounds of the essential oils were a- pinene, limonene, bornyl- acetate, eugenol, geranyl- acetate, and methyleugenol.