Phytochemical analysis of essential oils from different plant parts of Ornithogalum cuspidatum Bertol

Abstract

Objectives: Ornithogalum cuspidatum Bertol is an Iranian species of the genus Ornithogalum L. (family: Liliaceae). In the Iran, the aerial parts of O. cuspidatum are used as food additives and also as an anti-irritant and relaxant by soothing the throat and bronchial tubes during dry coughs. Only limited phytochemical investigation has yet been carried out on O. caspidatum. Methods: The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation in a clevenger extractor and the composition of essential oils of flowers, leaves and bulbs were determined by coupled GC-MS analysis. Results: The yields of essential oils of fresh flowers, leaves and bulbs were 0.016%, 0.007% and 0.037% respectively. The GC-MS analysis of the essential oils of bulbs, flower and leaves led to the identification and quantification of a total of 155, 20 and 23 compounds respectively. The major components of flower's oil were hexacosane (31.49%), ethyl linoleolate (2.74%), tricosane (7.72%), tetracosane (3.46%), heptacosane (5.65%), Octacosane (25.22%) and tetracosane, 11-decyl- (10.03%); and about leave's oil were Hexahydro farnesyl acetone (5.71%), Palmitic acid (16.01%), tricosane (17.42%), linolenic acid methyl ester (9.01%), heneicosane (5.30%) and phytol (20.71%). Also the major components of bulb's oil were nonane (2.65 %), 4-methyl nonane (2.76%), decane (9.65 %) and undecane (7.73 %). Conclusion: Analysis of the essential oil of different parts of O. cuspidatum showed that the essential oils of flower and bulb consisted mainly of saturated hydrocarbon compounds. Although, the essential oil of the leaves consisted mainly of from oxygenated hydrocarbons. Also, the essential oil of the flower contained oxygenated terpenoid compounds (4.84%).