Chemical variation of the essential oil of Prangos uloptera DC. at different stages of growth

Abstract

In the current investigation, the influence of the plant growth stages (prior to emergence of flower heads or vegetative, anthesis and fruiting) on the essential oil content and composition in the aerial parts of Prangos uloptera DC. was studied. Quantitative and qualitative differences were found among oil of aerial parts at three phenological stages. The principle compounds of the oil before emergence of flower heads were saferole (21.6%) and -pinene (20%), while the oil at anthesis was composed of -bisabolol (30.5%), saferole (19.11%) and (+)-spathulenol (12.9%). The oil at fruiting stage displayed -terpinene (35.5%) and trans-anethole (23.5%) as major constituents. These findings may confer valuable information regarding chemical composition of P. uloptera DC., which could be beneficial in the fields of herbal medicine.