Chemical composition of the essential oil of Pistacia lentiscus L. from Morocco - a seasonal variation

Air-dried aerial parts of Pistacia lentiscus L. collected from different regions of Morocco (Mehdia, Oulmes and Chaouen) were water-distilled to produce oil in 0.2% yields. The chemical composition of P. lentiscus oils changes from a region to another. The variations in chemical composition are important between plant populations. A total of 45 constituents were identified. The major oil components of P. lentiscus from Oulmes were alpha-pinene (16.5-38.5%), beta-myrcene (10.2-11.5%) and limonene (6.8-9.8%), while terpinen-4-ol (32.7-43.8%), alpha-pinene (7.1-13.5%) and bornyl acetate (6.8-10.3%) were the main constituents of Chaouen oil. For P. lentiscus from Mehdia, terpinen-4-ol (14.5-19.3%), caryophyllene oxide (6.5-10.3%) and limonene (6.7-8.1%) were the major components. The effect of harvesting time on the oil production and chemical composition was also examined at different vegetative stages (December-June). For the three locations, the best oil content was obtained during the flowering period March-June. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.