Analysis of the volatile constituents of five African and Mediterranean Hypericum L. (Clusiaceae, Hypericoideae) species

Abstract

The volatile constituents of five species of the medicinally and ornamentally valuable genus Hypericurn L. (St. John's Wort; Clusiaceae), with native distributions in Africa and the Mediterranean regions of Europe and Asia, were examined as part of our continuing research on the phytochemistry of Hypericum. The dried and ground aerial material of flowering plants was subjected to microdistillation to isolate volatile compounds, which were subsequently analyzed by GC/MS. The major constituent(s) of H. balearicum were (x-pinene (28.5%), beta-pinene (20.4%), and beta-eudesmol (11.2%); of H. delphicum were caryophyllene oxide (31.5%), beta-caryophyflene (18.2%), and undecane (17.5%); of H. roeperanum was gamma-curcumene (15.6%); of H. aegypticum ssp. aegypticum was ishwarane (14.4%); and of H. aegypticum ssp. marrocanum were caryophyllene oxide (29.2%) and beta-caryophyllene (15.1%). This paper represents the first report, to our knowledge, of volatile constituents for these species.