Myrtus communis in Tunisia:: variability of the essential oil composition in natural populations

The essential oil of 12 Tunisian natural populations of Myrtus communis L. (Myrtacea), prospected in three bioclimatic stages (humid inferior, sub-humid and semi-arid superior) were analyzed. Oil was extracted by n-hexane from crushed leaves and analysed by GC and GC-MS. Twenty-four components, representing approximately 79.10% of the oil, were identified. The major constituents were alpha-pinene (19.20%) and 1,8-cineole (15.96%). The other important constituents were linalool (7.66%), alpha-terpineol (7.51%) and limonene (5.75%). The percentage of all components varied within and among populations according to their bioclimatic appurtenance. alpha-Pinene, camphene and 1,8-cineole were the main compounds to differentiate the populations according to the bioclimate. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.