Essential oil composition of Matricaria recutita L. from the lower region of the Himalayas

The volatile constituents of Matricaria recutita L. cultivated in the lower region of the Himalayas were analysed by GC and GC-MS. Forty-one components, representing 97.5% of the oil, were identified. The main constituents were alpha-bisabolol oxide A (36.5%) and B (8.6%), (E)-beta-farnesene (14.0%), alpha-bisabolol (16%) and chamazulene (5.6%). The variation in oil composition and oil yield during hydrodistillation was studied, and it has been found that the yield of the main components in chamomile oil increased from 0.5 to 2 h of distillation. The main constituents, except for a-bisabolol oxide B, were found in higher concentration in oil from the foothills of the Himalayas than in the oil from the northern Indian plain. The oil showed a dark blue colour and a strong characteristic odour. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.