title: Essential oil composition of smyrnium olusatrum.
abstract: The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of green and ripe fruits, herb, flowers and roots of Smyrnium olusatrum (alexanders), have been analyzed by means of GC, GC-MS, and NMR spectroscopic methods. Roots, herb and flowers are characterized by a high content of oxygenated sesquiterpenoids, most of them furanosesquiterpenoids, while green and ripe fruits are dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons with beta-phellandrene and alpha-pinene as major constituents. The furanosesquiterpenoids, comprising a high proportion of furanodiene and isofuranogermacrene, are present in all parts of the plant. In roots and herbs furanoeremophil-1-one is the second important furanosesquiterpenoid, whereas 1beta-acetoxyfurano-4(15)-eudesmene was detected as a prominent component in green and ripe fruits. Additionally a new furanoeudesmane derivative has been isolated from the fruits. With the aid of (13)C, (1)H and 2D NMR the structure has been established as furano-4(15)-eudesmen-1-one.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 43, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mölleken
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sinnwell
authors.forename: Karl Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kubeczka