Essential oil composition of Hypericum perfoliatum L. and Hypericum tomentosum L. growing wild in Tunisia

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Tunisian native Hypericum perfoliatum L. (sect. Drosocarpium Spach.) and Hypericum tomentosum (sect. Adenosepalum Spach.) were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Thirty-two compounds were identified in the essential oils of H. perfoliatum with alpha-pinene (13.1%), allo-aromadendrene (11.4%), germacrene-D (10.6%), n-octane (7.3%), alpha-selinene (6.5%) and beta-selinene (5.5%) as main constituents. Sixty-seven components were identified in the oil of H. tomentosum with menthone (17.0%), n-octane (9.9%), beta-caryophyllene (5.3%), alpha-pinene (5.2%), lauric acid (4.1%) and beta-pinene (3.7%) as the most abundant components. Both oils were characterized by the presence of many components which could have numerous applications in food, pharmaceutical and perfume industries. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.