Essential oil of chamomile ligulate and tubular flowers

Abstract

The essential oils of tubular flowers and ligulate flowers of two chamomile genotypes diploid (2n = 18) and tetraploid (2n = 36) were examined by GC and GC/MS. The tubular flower oils of the diploid and tetraploid genotypes were found to contain α-bisabolol oxide B (17.8% and 5.9%), α-bisabolol (34.2% and 9–6%) and α-bisabolol oxide A (24.4% and 54.3%) as major components. The ligulate flower oils of the diploid and tetraploid genotypes were found to contain α-bisabolol oxide B (13.2% and 5.6%), α-bisabolol (21.3% and 9.4%) and α-bisabolol oxide A (18.3% and 45.6%). In addition, the tubular flower oil contained (E)-anediole (4.5%) while it was not detected in the ligulate flower oil. In contrast, the ligulate flower oil contained menthone (4.4%), yet it was not detected in the tubular flower oil. © 1999, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.