Composition of the essential oils of Galium aparine L. and Gallium odoratum (L.) Scop. from Turkey

Abstract

Water distilled essential oils from aerial parts of Galium aparine and Galium odoratum collected from Ankara and Kastamonu were analyzed by GC/MS. Seventy-two compounds representing 64.7% of the essential oil G. aparine, and 96 compounds representing 89.1% of the essential oil G. odoratum were characterized. The major component of the essential oil obtained by acid hydrolysis from G. aparine was hexadecanoic acid (22.3%), whereas the major components of the essential oil of G. odoratum were thymol (30.6%) and isothymol (22.8%). Therefore, we do not consider G. aparine an aromatic plant as the oil contained predominantly fatty acids and four terpenoids.