Effect of different locations on the chemical composition of essential oils of laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) leaves growing wild in Turkey

The essential oil components of Laurus nobilis gathered from seven different locations of Turkey were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The oil yields on a dry weight basis ranged between 1.4% to 2.6%. The major component was 1,8-cineole (51.73-68.48%); other predominant components were alpha-terpinyl acetate (4.04-9.87%), sabinene (4.44-7.75%), alpha-pinene (2.93-4.89%), 8-pinene (2.58-3.91%), terpinene-4-ol (1.33-3.24%), and alpha-terpineol (0.95-3.05%). Minor qualitative and major quantitative variations of some compounds were determined with respect to localities of collection. As a result, the 1,8-cineole content of these oils was significantly higher than those of other constituents of L. nobilis. Laurel is usually considered as the natural source of this compound, used in the flavor and fragrance industry.