2-Hydroxyacetophenone, the Main Component of the Essential Oil of the Roots of Carissa opaca Stapf ex Haines

The volatile oil obtained by hydrodistillation of the roots of Carissa opaca wits analyzed by GC and GC/MS to study its composition. Thirty-five compounds representing 98.3% of the oil-were identified. Si-gel chromatography of the oil yielded 2-hydroxyacetophenone, which was characterized by spectral methods (H-1-,C-13-NMR and mass), as the main component, amounting to 89.5% of the oil.