Effect of harvest time on the yield and composition of Tunisian myrtle oils

The yield and composition variation of the leaf essential oil from Myrtus communis L, an aromatic wild plant which grows in the area of Tabarka (north-western Tunisia) were investigated. Essential oil was obtained by steam distillation at atmospheric pressure of the dried, ground herbal material. The yield of essential oil reached a peak at the beginning of the flowering stage (0.54%) and a minimum after the flowering period (0.27%). Thirty-nine components were identified in the essential oil by GC and GC-MS. The major constituent of the oil was found to be a-pinene. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.