Volatile components of Nigella damascena L. and Nigella sativa L. seeds

The volatile components in chloroform extracts and essential oils from the seeds of Nigella damascena and Nigella sativa were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The volatile compositions differed in the two species: N. damascena contained sesquiterpenes, including a large proportion of beta-elemene (27.7% extract, 54.7% oil) and methyl 3methoxy-N-methyl anthranilate (30.7% extract, 12.7% oil), which account for the characteristic aroma of this species, whereas only monoterpenes, including p-cymene (49.0% extract, 47.4% oil) and thymoquinone (20.6% extract, 20.8% oil), were detected in N. sativa.