title: Composition of seed essential oils of Rhododendron tomentosum.
abstract: For the first time, the chemical composition of the seed essential oil of Rhododendron tomentosum was determined. Forty-seven compounds were identified, comprising 91.7% of the total oil. Palustrol (38.3%) and ledol (27.0%) were the predominant constituents. Some constituents, such as beta-pinene oxide, iso-menthyl acetate, nerolidyl acetate, cadalene and guaiazulene were characteristic only for the seeds and were identified for the first time in Rh. tomentosum oils. For comparison purposes, the essential oil isolated from the shoots of the same plant were analyzed [GC(FID) in combination with RIs, GC-MS and 13C NMR]. More than a half of the oil was comprised of ledol (36.5%) and palustrol (21.0%). Quantitative analysis of ascaridol, a heat-sensitive compound, was carried out by 13C NMR spectroscopy. Indeed, ascaridol undergoes partial thermal isomerization to iso-ascaridol during GC analyses.
authors.affiliation: Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemistry, A. Gostauto 9, LT- 01108 Vilnius, Lithuania. judzent@ktl.mii.It
authors.forename: Asta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Judzentiene
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Butkiene
authors.forename: Jurga
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Budiene
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tomi
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casanova
mesh_terms: D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D029793:Rhododendron / Q000737:chemistry*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010938:Plant Oils