Composition of the volatile oils isolated from the leaves of Liquidambar orientalis Mill. var. orientalis and L-orientalis var. integriloba from Turkey

The volatile oils isolated by three different methods (hydrodistillation, steam distillation and extraction-steam distillation) from the aerial parts of Liquidambar orientalis var. orientalis and L. orientalis var. integriloba were analysed by GC and GC-MS. This study allowed the identification of 41, 35 and 36 constituents in the oils obtained from var. orientalis and 43, 41 and 40 constituents in the oils obtained from var. integriloba by hydrodistillation, steam distillation and extraction-steam distillation, respectively. They were characterized by the presence of a high proportion of oxygen-containing monoterpenes, amounting to 39% in the hydrodistillation oil, 54% in the steam distillation oil and 50% in the extraction-steam distillation oil of var. orientalis; 50% in the hydrodistillation oil, 64% in the steam distillation oil and 37% in the extraction-steam distillation oil of var. integriloba. Two varieties of L. orientalis provided volatile oils with a high content of terpinen-4-ol, alpha-terpineol, sabinene, alpha-pinene, viridiflorene and germacrene D and a lower percentage of other components. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.