Essential oils of plants used in home medicine in North of Argentina

DAMBOLENA JS; ZUNINO MP; ROTMAN A; AHUMADA O; LUCINI EI; BIURRUM F; ZYGADLO JA

JOURNAL OF ESSENTIAL OIL RESEARCH

Allured Publishing Corp

Año: 2009 vol. 21 p. 405 - 409

1041-2905

Essential oils of  the followed medicinal plants Satureja parvifolia, Satureja boliviana,  Hyptis mutabilis, Leonorus sibiricus,  Lippia turnerifolia, Xeroaloysia ovatifolia, and Acantholippia salsoloides of north Argentina were analyzed by GC-MS. The composition of the essential oil of L. turnerifolia, A. salsoloides and X. ovatifolia are described for the first time. Seventy five compounds, representing more than 90% of the oils, were identified. The essential oils of both populations of S. parvifolia studied were characterized by a high content of piperitone (41.9 and 46 %) and piperitone oxide (50.1 and 49.3 %). The most abundant constituents identified in S. boliviana essential oil were isomenthone (33%) and pulegone (25.3 %). H. mutabilis essential oil is characterized by b-phellandrene (27.1%) and E-caryophyllene (59.4%). The main constituents of L. sibiricus essential oil were the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons E-caryophyllene (35.2%), á- humulene (22.1%) and á cubebene (18.4%).The species L. turnerifolia and X. ovatifolia studied had high content of sesquiterpenes, too. These were á-humulene (40.1%), â-bisabolene (22.9%), and E caryophyllene (14.4%), nerolidol-trans E (10.5%), spathulenol (21.6%), epi á-cadinol (21.9%) respectively. A. salsoloides from Jujuy accumulated high content of p-cymene (52.8%) and thymol (46.8%) while the population of Catamarca accumulated á-thujones (98.8%) as the major compound in the essential oil. Previous studies of the essential oils of some of these species reported a different composition. Our study suggests that change in the essential oil composition should be taken into account in order to be used as therapeutical agents.